Lead Me Home
by Pen-and-Paper93
Summary: "I think it's broken" I sighed handing it to him. The moment Peter touched it the needle started to spin clockwise so fast it became a blur. His brow furrowed and he shook his head watching the bizarre object "It's not broken" he murmured. Peter/OC  Ebony is a little bit based on Ellie by K.M. Grant, Heartslove series.
1. Home Sweet Home

This first chapter is just to build a bit of character and not much happens so if you're like me you'll want to wait a few more chapters, say two more. I always prefer to read a book all the way through than to stop and start ~ Rhiannon x

Lead Me Home

Chapter One – Dinner Dates Gone Awry

"Ebony Long, you had better be ready to go or I swear we won't be going at all!" My father called up the stairs of our small house in Finchley. I rolled my eyes in exasperation and slid the last pin into my auburn hair and stood up from my dressing table ready to go just as he slammed the door open to yell. "Ebb- Oh darling you look lovely" he finished sweetly, smiling at me proudly.

"Thank you Daddy" I smiled as I passed him and began down stairs. I didn't really want him to know how glad I was for the reassurance of my appearance. You see, I am on my way to a Dinner party with some of our family friends. And when I say family friends I mean the boy that I have been betrothed to as long as I can remember and his family and his friends. I wanted to look my best so that he'd be proud to call me his fiancée. It wasn't even that he was snobbish and I'd be his trophy bride, I just wanted him to be happy… Not that either of us had the choice to change our minds, it somehow cheapened my love for him by removing the option not too. But I did love him dearly.

As father shepherded me into the car and I settled down I began to think of him. Peter. I was rarely given time to consider if I wanted to marry him myself. I knew that I fancied him but was that enough? Surely a happy marriage didn't depend solely on attraction and who's to say that he's as attracted to me as I am to him? After all, he was very handsome. Peter had also been the high flying popular boy of his boarding school and now he'd left for a job in Government. That was in fact the purpose of going to this party, to mingle and make connections.

I didn't notice that we'd stopped until I felt the chill air on my legs and looked at the open door. Standing beside it, greeting my father warmly was Peter. I smiled and took his offered hand to get out of the car. He kissed my cheek and whispered softly in my ear. "You look lovely tonight." I smiled at him and threaded my arm through his as we walked toward the doors where my father had already found an old friend.

"It's a special occasion" I said quietly.

"It is?" he teased, grinning at me disarmingly. I nodded, playing along with him as I always did. I had to admit, it was nice not to have parents watching us and tittering about how sweet we were or his siblings arguing around us.

"The first of many" I added and he gave me another bright smile, about to answer when a booming voice broke our serenity.

"Peter! There you are my boy!" A small fat man rushed towards us and I couldn't help but be reminded of watching my father playing bowls on the green every Sunday. In his black suit he did resemble a bowling ball quite well. Peter turned us towards him and smiled a different smile to the ones he gave me or the ones he gave our friends and family. It seemed slightly forced so I squeezed his hand reassuringly. Despite being a foot or two shorter than Peter the man reached up to slap Peter's shoulder heartily but Peter held his ground without staggering and he passed me a champagne glass as a waiter passed us and took one for himself.

"Kingsley" Peter greeted, nodding slightly

"Ah, this must be your fiancée!" Kingsley exclaimed, he stepped back and looked me up and down which brought a reaction from both me and Peter. I supressed a shudder at the gesture behind the look and Peter's knuckles went white on his champagne glass, he put an arm around my waist to press me closer to his side. "Ah what a prize, Peter, you must be very proud of yourself." Kingsley continued obliviously and I took half a step behind Peter. "Oh but I almost forgot" he added, his small eyes brightening "Congratulations on the promotion! I hear that Arthur has given you the office right next to his, tell me is it true?"

"Yes, it is true but I don't expect to set much store by the geography of my office" Peter smiled, his lips tight in comparison to his earlier smile.

"But you must! It's a great-" I was sure he'd finish that with 'honour' but just then a tall slim woman about middle age pushed into the conversation, literally.

"Oh Herbert do be quiet!" she sighed, "Can't you see the poor girl is bored of men's topics?" she rolled her eyes and put a hand over my wrist. "Come on dear, I will take you to meet my friends. We women must stick together you know" she said friendly enough but inconsiderate of the fact that I wasn't willing to leave Peter.

"Oh thank you but I'll stay with Peter" I said quickly as she began to lead the way. She paused and looked back at me and then to Peter, her eyes widening.

"So you're the young Peter Pevensie they've all been raving about?" she said stepping closer to him. "Well, I can see why she'd want to keep an eye on you" the woman said, inspecting Peter's suit and then catching his chin in her hand, turning his face from side to side admiringly. "Wonderful bone structure, yes very handsome boy, you'll do well. Now what about you my dear?" she said rounding on me. "Well…" she considered me a moment and then frowned. "Where exactly are you from?" I swallowed nervously

"Finchley" I said quietly, her eye brows rose in response.

"I wish I could say I was surprised… Not as noble faced at all-"

"I'm from Finchley too" Peter interrupted; she looked at him in surprise.

"Possibly but you have more noble bloodlines" she dismissed him and turned back to me. He shrugged at me over her shoulders and I had to fight a grin.

"Tables are Opening!" The room began to move towards the dining hall doors and I was once again allowed Peter to myself. We shared a smirk and then we followed the crowd to the dining room.

"Is it terrible that I just want to go home now?" he asked with a sigh. I half smiled

"I hope not because I do too" We shared a look before sighing and taking our seats near the front of the room. Just as Peter was pushing my chair in for me another man's voice called him from further up the table. I heard him groan behind me and sighed myself. He was pulled away by men eager to talk to him and I watched him go sadly.

"I know the feeling" the woman across from me half smiled, rolling her eyes towards the man next to her who practically had his back to her so he could talk to colleagues.

"I knew it was a work party but, well I suppose I just got my hopes up" I said sadly, glancing back at Peter. She nodded

"At least you can say that he didn't want to leave you" she said slightly bitterly, then forced a sudden bright smile. "I'm Jane Cameron by the way."

"Hello, I'm Ebony Howard" I smiled back, her eyes widened

"Oh, so that must be Peter Pevensie then? Caused quite the gossip you're man" she said, smiling. "Nineteen and already in the same job as a forty year old, it was scandalous!" she laughed bitterly. "Do yourself a favour and get out of your marriage now; you don't want to end up like me with a pointless life and a loveless marriage."

"My marriage isn't going to be loveless" I said fiercely. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"You weren't betrothed?"

"Well yes but I do love Peter" The woman tilted her head curiously.

"And he loves you?" I opened my mouth then closed it, did he love me? Probably not the way I loved him anyway.

"Yes, he does" Peter's voice said from behind me, his voice held a finality that made the woman look away in shame and she gave her mumbled apologies. My eyes watched Peter carefully as he sat down next to me, his hand sought mine under the table but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary.


	2. Shook to the Foundations

~2~

After a seemingly very long dinner and lengthy goodbyes Peter was ushering my father and I into a car. I purposely sat opposite my father so there was a seat free beside me for Peter, as the car began to move off he sighed and I saw Peter's Politian mask drop as well as my fathers' unswervingly happy expression to one of relief. "Well I'll be dodging these dinner parties with the power of hindsight." Peter sighed, tilting his head back in his seat; father grunted his agreement with his eyes closed.

"I'd forgotten what arrogant pigs my old colleagues were" he frowned deeply

"And those women are ghastly" I added, in some ways just to let my own thoughts be known, lest Peter think I'd want to go again. He glanced at me and gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I dragged you in there, I had no idea it would be so dull" he was sweet but I was overall glad I'd come. It had revealed things about us I'd never noticed before if nothing else.

"Personally I think the pair of you handled yourselves extremely well and I see no reason for my chaperoning on your future excursions to these political parties." Father added with a smile

"No sir, I'm serious, I never want to attend another of these evenings as long as I live!" Peter exclaimed making my father smile ruefully.

"Do you think Susan and Lucy will still be awake? I haven't seen them in a while" I asked as we got closer to Finchley, Peter checked his watch and gave the driver his old address to visit his family.

When he unlocked the door it was like he'd unleashed hell, all I could hear was Susan screaming down the stairs into the hall and Edmund yelling back. For a moment, Peter, father and I just stood and watched until Susan slammed a door that shook the house and Edmund stomped loudly up the stairs to carry on yelling. "Oi!" Peter yelled, his deep voice reverberating through the house so it fell silent, I even heard the lock of an upstairs door click as it opened.

"Peter?" Lucy's voice called from the upstairs landing

"Hello Lu" I said warmly as she appeared at the top of the stairs. She rushed down the steps and jumped up as Peter caught her in a tight hug, ruffling her hair before he put her down. She rushed to me and hugged me tightly around my middle. Slowly Edmund descended the stairs with a guilty look on his face, to which peter simply raised his eyebrows as if to say 'well?'

"Susan was being spoilt, wouldn't even let me listen to the radio because she HAD to read sitting right next to the only radio in the whole house." He said sullenly. Peter sighed and motioned to Edmund that they had company as he hopped up the stairs, taking two at a time and then knocking gently on Susan's door. We heard it click open and then close again when he was inside leaving a slightly awkward silence on father, Edmund, Lucy and I.

"So is your mum home?" Dad asked Lucy, she shook her head and glanced at Ed. She never had been very comfortable with my father, he was the only middle aged man around her these days with their father in the war and most of his friends, I think she thought him a bit strict.

"She went to Mrs Parkinson's house, her only son, died in Normandy and she doesn't want to be alone. They're taking it in turns to look after her." He gave a sideways glance at Lucy who looked exceptionally downcast. I felt that familiar guilt set in, I knew it was stupid and that I wasn't allowed to fight anyway but still, the guilt was there.

"Oh no, I knew his father well, I should… go and see what we can do." Father said slowly, nodding to himself as though to confirm with himself. "Will you be alright to wait here for me, Ebony?" he asked, I nodded solemnly, I knew that Peter had gone to school with Mark Parkinson too, he couldn't have known yet. Father nodded again and then left, shutting the door behind him, I talked to Lucy for a while, telling her about the dinner and all the snooty people we saw. She giggled and smiled until Peter came back downstairs followed by Susan, he looked a bit depressed so I could only guess that Susan had told him about Mark.

"You're dad?" he asked, sitting down on the sofa beside me

"Gone to visit Mrs Parkinson." He nodded slowly, his fist curling on his knee as he thought of it. I knew he'd wanted to fight, but his mother simply couldn't afford it. At the moment his was the only decent income for her and the three children. Susan could technically get a job but only in the factories like their mother and then she'd have to leave her education. I reached for his hand and carefully uncurled his fingers with mine while Susan engaged Lucy in conversation. I knew how Peter hated any of his siblings to see him weak so I stood quietly and wordlessly pulled his hand towards the kitchen, he followed me and I heard the conversation in the living room turn as we left.

"Why are they going to the kitchen?" Lucy asked, interrupting Susan

"Their hungry" Susan said shortly as excuse

"But they just went to dinner!" Lucy exclaimed as I closed the door. Peter was leaning back against the worktop, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking at the floor. Still not wanting to speak, because what do you say to someone who'll never see their childhood friend again? I put hand on Peter's shoulder and he unfolded his arms as I moved closer to hug his around the waist, I felt him bury his face in the side of my neck, the side I'd pinned up in curls because I felt warm tears on my shoulder and his hot breath on my neck, he hugged me tighter for a second and then I heard a deep, ominous rumble from outside. It sounded like a wailing siren coupled with a hundred klaxons.

"Shit!" Peter cursed, moving me back by my waist and rubbing his eyes as he rushed back to the living room where all his sibling looked to be frozen in fear. "GET OUT!" I've never heard his voice as loud as then, he sounded angry though I knew he was only scarred. Susan grabbed Lucy and rushed towards the kitchen, past me through the back door towards the bomb shelter.

"Dad!" Edmund yelled, halfway to the kitchen door and rushed back to grab the family photo off the dresser while Peter bellowed at him to get out. As he scrambled to get back out the house shook as a bomb exploded somewhere near. Peter grabbed Edmund by his collar and yanked him back to the kitchen still holding Ed's shirt in one hand he grabbed mine with his other and pulled me out into the garden as the ground shook again. It was dark out and the sky went momentarily while as we ran. Susan threw the door to the shelter open and peter pushed me in with one hand and then Edmund before jumping in behind us and closing the door, bolting it and pulling the sand bags in front.

"Are you okay?" I asked after a beat of silence, he nodded and looked at each of us to check we were alright.

"What about mum and Mr Long?" Lucy asked timidly, looking from Peter to Susan.

"They'll be in Mrs Parkinson's shelter" Peter nodded. Then pushed himself up off his knees shakily, moving past Susan to one of the hard, lumpy beds. Sighing he laid back on it and listened to the sound of bombs going off close and in the distance. Edmund moved towards the emergency box, setting down the family portrait and taking out the water provisions he took a sip and then climbed up to the bunk above Peter's.

Susan moved over to the other bunk and sat on the bottom one, retrieving a book from under the mattress where I assumed she'd stowed it last time and Lucy glanced between her and Peter before scrambling onto the foot of Peter's bed. He pulled himself up with his legs over the edge letting Lucy lay down with her head in his lap. He sat quietly, staring off into space while stroking her long golden hair, the exact same shade as his. Sighing I climb up onto the bed beside Peter and rest my head on his shoulder, watching his hand in Lucy's hair rhythmically. I'm almost asleep when I hear Susan speak softly.

"How was the dinner party?"

"Bash your brains out boring" Peter said dully, I could tell by his tone that he was rolling his eyes. I didn't open mine, all my limbs felt heavy, like they were filled with led from the stress of the day. And what if my father had already left Mrs Parkinson's house when the attack hit? What if Mrs Pevensie had or if they didn't get to the shelter in time?

"Did Ebony enjoy?" Susan asked quietly, apparently assuming I was asleep

"No, I think we'll both be avoiding them in the future. Even Arthur said he didn't want to go again and he's had a lifetime of them." I felt Peter's fingers ghost across my wrist and then slowly up my arm, it tickled and it felt nice, I couldn't help the small smile, even though my drowsiness made my eyelids heavy.

"Peter what are you going to do with your life?" Susan asked suddenly, I felt Peter look up quickly

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion

"Well, I know you and Ebony get along but… I don't understand why our parents betrothed you two" Susan said and I could tell by her tone she was frowning and shaking her head.

"Because she's Arthur's only daughter, she didn't have a mother like we did Su and Arthur needed to know someone would take care of her," Peter shrugged like he'd explained this a hundred times over

"It just seems so old fashioned, I mean, women can vote now! She should choose her own husband and you your wife" Susan persisted. Peter shrugged again

"If things were different maybe it would matter but as things stand, it really doesn't matter to me. I like to have her near, it's hard to explain Sue but I like knowing she's there. She's comforting, she's fun, she's cleaver and obviously beautiful," I could feel his breath on my face and knew he was looking down at me. "If I had to choose someone to marry, it'd still be her, so it really makes no difference to me and it helps Arthur sleep. I suppose if she came to me and said she didn't want to marry me I'd have to deal with it… but I'd make sure she was safe with whoever she chose, I'd never just let her go into an unknown."

"Do you love her Peter?" Susan asked gently, I suddenly felt very awake. I need to know what he said.

"Sue, I'm barely twenty. I'm not even sure what romantic love is… I have nothing to compare us to and… I've asked myself this a hundred times already but I just don't know. I mean, I've read the books and poems about what love is but it's all just flowery uselessness, I mean poets say love is like being lifted up on a cloud but how the hell do they know what that would feel like?" I felt disappointed, it felt like me heart had sunk to my stomach, all I could think was 'it feels like all you need is that one person Peter'. Because I knew what love felt like, I knew I was in love with Peter, I knew he loved me but apparently he wasn't in love with me. My eyes stung and I felt cold despite being cuddled under his arm. It was like he'd buried me in ice, cold hard ice.


	3. Confused in the Dark

~3~

I woke up feeling cold on one side, it was too dark to see and I assumed the oil lamp had run out. I could feel my side was still warm where Peter was, it was completely silent all around me, just the faint sound of wind outside the shelter. I was about to get up and open the door to check if the house was still standing when I felt sand shift between my fingers. Sand actually, very cold sand. The more I thought of it, the more I realised that London was never quiet… I prodded Peter a little harder than necessary making him groan as he sat up rubbing his ribs. "What?" he asked waspishly, ignoring his tone, it was no secret Peter didn't like mornings; I grabbed his wrist and rubbed it in the sand. "What the…" he trailed off in confusion and I felt him getting up.

"Peter, stay here!" I didn't know what was going on but I didn't want to be alone.

"Shh!" I saw his vague shape moving over to where two other vague shapes were and nudging them with his foot.

"Stop it!" Susan snapped sounding remarkably like Peter when I'd woken him. Then he nudged Edmund and got an angry swat across the leg.

"Ger off" Edmund mumbled angrily, still swatting the air where Peter had been.

"Ebb, wake up Lucy" he moved off further to the dark while Susan and Ed started to realise the problem. I shook Lucy's shoulder gently; she mumbled sleepily and swatted me away lazily.

"Lu I need you to get up" I whispered urgently to her, she raised her head and looked around for a moment and then she was hugging the life out of me, both her arms around my waist.

"Where do you suppose we are?" Susan asked after a long silence in which Peter muttered to himself and Edmund had taken over comforting Lucy while I was on my way to Peter.

"Well first I thought it must have been something to do with the Germans, sleep gas bomb or something and then taking us as prisoners of war but I think we're in a cave…" Peter trailed off again, sounding a lot calmer than when he'd first woken up and realised our predicament.

"A cave?" Susan asked incredulously

"Yep… at least we know it's not the Germans…" he paused frowning and started muttering to himself. "Maybe this is a dream… or I could be mental."

"Why couldn't it be the Germans? They're not exactly known for keeping up with human rights" Ed chirped. Even in the dark I knew Peter and Susan had simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"I doubt they'd stow us away in a cave when they have their camps Ed" Peter sighed and I felt his hand grip my wrist looking for my hand. It was cold and damp where he'd been touching the rough stone walls but I took his hand while he used the other to feel the way across the wall. "I can see light but not where it's coming from" Peter murmured more to himself than me, while Susan and Ed argued over how a ridiculous idea it was that Hitler had found individual caves for each family.

"Can you hear water?" Lucy asked suddenly and Peter froze as though realising it himself.

"Yeah" I murmured, taking Lucy's offered hand while Peter worked his way out of the cave.

"I found something!" he called back to us; both our arms were outstretched now with our hands still held between us. "I think it's a way out, and I can hear waves." I bit my lip frowning, where the hell are we and why were we here?

I followed Peter a bit reluctantly while he looked around a narrow ragged stone entrance that was flooded with silvery moonlight. He let out a breath in a puff and squeezed through the gap, looking out at something in awe. "Peter?" Susan snapped from the suspense.

"Come out here" he murmured breathlessly. With a final look of confusion we slid out as saw a beautiful beach. Soft sand beneath my feet, the quiet roll of waves onto shore, and sparkling navy blue sea all set in an idyllic little cove surrounded by towering cliffs and dark green forests and bathed in the white moonlight. I found myself in much the same predicament as Peter; I'd never even been to the sea before, let alone one like this. Lucy was first to give in and run head long at the water followed by Edmund and after an exchanged look Peter and I, Susan following behind still in wonder of the place. I was surprised how hard it is to run in water past your ankles, especially in this silly dress. Edmund and Peter were having a playful wrestle in the water while Lucy and I were trying to jump waves and Susan was taking off her shoes and paddling, hitching up her skirt to her knees. I think it was the first time in a long while I'd seen Susan genuinely smiling for longer than a short moment. By the time I waded back to shore my legs were aching from the effort and my dress was soaked right up to my hips and then splattered all over. Lucy was basically drenched apart from her hair, even Susan's skirt was to her knees despite her efforts to hold it up. And the boys didn't have a single dry spot on their entire bodies but they were grinning broadly and still teasing each other as they slumped down in the sand with us.

"So where do you suppose we are?" Susan said after a while, "Cornwall, Devon?"

"Well we can rule out Dover" I added, sitting up and glancing at the dark cliff face then trying to wring water out of my skirts.

"I'm more concerned with why we're here than where here is" Peter said, sitting up as well and putting his elbows on his knees to look out at sea.

"Maybe this is the future, you know like time travel in-" Edmund trailed off seeing the incredulous looks we all gave him.

"Where ever we are, we need to find out why we're here. I say we go up those cliffs and see if there's any civilisation around here." Agreeing we all made our way slowly towards the cliffs, it was amazing down heavy my clothes were once wet. Reaching the bottom we found a steep, narrow, pebbled path up to the top. It wasn't easy, especially in those ridiculous heels which simply didn't balance on uneven ground, which I eventually took off only to have my feet battered by the stones on the path. Eventually, despite Susan's disapproval (in her own casual, practical flat shoes), I was carried the last third of the way up by Peter, with my arms around his neck and nothing else to do but wait until he put me down at the top I took to observing him by moonlight. The light angled at his face defined his cheek bones and the straightness of his jaw, the silvery light made his golden blonde hair shine platinum. His lips were slightly chapped and beaten from chewing them as he often did when thinking deeply and his eyes seemed even bluer than by day, as though they each had a moon of their own to light them up. I felt his chest rumble against my side making me start into awareness again and realised he was watching me watch him, covertly.

"Do I pass inspection?" he teased, a smile lifting one side of his mouth making a dimple appear on the cheek nearest me. I felt heat rush to my cheeks but smiled back anyway.

"Only just Pevensie, you get leeway for rescuing my feet" I say, tapping the tip of his nose playfully.

"Oh get a room!" Edmund called from the end of the group. It only made my blush rage further and Peter rolled his eyes, avoiding my gaze. Once we got to the top the floor was all soft green grass so Peter set me down barefoot.

"Good gracious" Susan breathed while I rearranged my skirt and tried to do up the buckle on my shoes.

"Phewww" Edmund whistled out with a tone of awe. Every time I tried to feed the strap through the buckle it slipped out.

"It's so… pretty" Lucy breathed as I almost toppled over trying to balance on one foot.

"Jesus Christ" Peter murmured. When Susan didn't scold him for blasphemy I looked up in surprise and saw what they were all talking about.

"Wow" I whispered, feeling my eyes go wide and my jaw fell loose.


	4. Waking Up Again

~4~

"Wow" I whispered, feeling my eyes go wide and my jaw fall loose. All around us were lush green grass as high as my waist, not sectioned in fields but one huge meadow that swept back away from the cliff edge and out up a gently hill which eventually led to a forest with still more lush green hills behind. It was too perfect to be real. Peter was the first to recover as usual.

"It's not civilisation though" he sighed. I looked up at him and felt my heart lurch suddenly. He looked different up here, even more luminous and magnificent. Like he was just as spectacular as this land. "Maybe it's the South of France."

"Peter" I murmured before I could stop myself. His gaze switched instantly to me, his lagoon blue eyes seemed to have swapped their glass texture for one of diamonds, I could actually see tiny rainbows refracting on their blue surface. "Oh God."

"What?" he asked clearly confused.

"Peter… You're skin…" Susan spoke slowly in amazement. He turned his eyes on her, his expression one of utter confusion as he looked down at his arms and then back to us.

"What?" he asked exasperatedly.

"You can't see that? You're glowing. Like actually glowing" Edmund said slowly. Peter looked down at his arms again but still obviously couldn't see what we could. After a long moment of us all just staring at him, I snapped myself out of it with a jolt. He'd faded in brightness now. Instead only his eyes remained unusual and they were looking down self-consciously while he paced away and back to us.

"Sorry" I mumbled, reaching out a hand to catch his. He pauses his pacing to meet my eyes and I try my hardest not to return to my goldfish impression. His diamond eyes hold mine and then he smiles in relief. "Do you feel any different?" I ask softly, he shakes his head, holding my gaze unflinchingly. I can feel myself frowning.

"What is it Peter?" Susan askes impatiently

"I don't know Sue, I know even less than you." We can all tell by his tone that it annoys him greatly that he's the only one left out. I shoot Susan a quick warning look.

"It's alright, fine, your fading now anyway; it's just your eyes now that seem different." I say softly, trying to calm him, I've never seen Peter get nervous before, and it unnerves me.

"My eyes?" his asked quickly, turning those azure crystals on me.

"They're a bit sparkly…" I say awkwardly, not having realised he didn't know about his eyes yet. He looks a tad incredulous and raises his eye brows at me. "A- Like- hundreds of sapphires in your eyes." I say, feeling a bit stupid. His brow furrows and he frowns but holds my gaze strongly. There's an awkward silence before Edmund mock coughs 'get a bloody room'.

"Well I suppose we out to aim for the trees" Peter says slowly, moving to stand beside me. We all nod and start walking slowly. I soon take off my shoes again because the grass is so soft and lush and my heels are sinking anyway. I walk as close as I can to Peter, in case there was something in that glow. Our arms brush accidentally a few times before he simply takes hold of my fingers and I slide my hand into his automatically. It's not really necessary but it's comforting, in a strange place like this where everything is unknown and strange, I was grateful for the piece of normalcy.

We have barely made a dent into our journey across the field when Peter freezes on the spot, pulling me back by my arm. "What?" Lucy asks studying her brother.

"There's something ahead. It's coming through the grass pretty fast. Can you see?"

"Where?" Ed asked alarmed

"By the foot of the hill"

"I can't see that far" I mumbled, instinctively stepping closer to Peter. His hand searched out mine and held it protectively behind him. I was beginning to make out the rustling of shapes in the grass; every so often a flash of dark fur would appear and then be gone. The movement in the grass getting rapidly closer.

Suddenly, in a flourish of movement Peter grabbed Lucy and put her on his shoulders, then grabbing my hand he turned and ran back towards the cliff. "Su, Ed, move!" he yelled, pushing them ahead with his spare hand. I'd frequently felt this rush of adrenaline but never so much as the very first air raid. Peter's hand yanking mine urged me forward and we were almost to the dirt path when something small and black shot out of the long grass, straight into the backs of Peter's knees. Knocking him forward. He let go of my hand to catch himself and was left holding himself and Lucy up only by his arms and then collapsed onto his knees. Something that appeared to be a black dog was pulling at his trouser leg viciously. Just as I got up to bat it away I was wrestled to the ground by something else black and furry.

For the second time that day I awoke to find myself in an unfamiliar place. This time, it was a tiny, warmly lit room, which seemed to be carved out of solid wood. I was lying in a huge pile of dried oak leaves that rustled when I moved but other than that the only thing in the room was a wax candle flickering on the wall bracket. I can hear voices outside the open miniature wooden door. My heart leaps in relief to hear Peters' voice. "You attacked my wife and siblings and you want my help!" he's angry. But still my heart gave a little leap, 'wife'.

"We didn't attack anyone, we needed to move you away from sight of the castle, we didn't have time to explain then!" an exasperated voice returned.

"So you abducted us?" Susan asked tartly. I began to get up, the leaves rustling as I did, and so conversation stopped. Two brisk steps and then Peter was in the small doorway, crouched almost double to look through. He gave a relieved smile and wordlessly reached a hand out to me, helping me through the doorway. As soon as I'd ducked through he pulled me close to him and tucked me under his chin, in the way he did when he wanted to hide me from something.

"I'm sorry I let this happen" he murmured in my ear, his lips and breath toying with my hair as he spoke. I pressed myself a little closer into him, taking full advantage of the chance I was being given. Everything about his is reassuring, protective and warm, and I love it. I feel his hand on the back of my head and the other on my waist.

"It was hardly your fault. The point is we're all fine now." I said, just as softly, not wanting his siblings or these strangers to hear our moment. I feel him nod and loosen his grip though as I look at his face, he's still not satisfied. But he turned back to the room and held me close to his side by my waist.

"Brace yourself for this" he warns as I turn to look at the occupants.


	5. Assistance

~5~

A Badger, a dwarf, a squirrel, two beavers and a fox are the only other occupants in the room beside Peter's siblings. "The lady Ebony, a pleasure to finally meet you" the badger spoke in what appeared to be a well-educated accent. All I could do was blink; surely it wasn't an actual badger, some convincing puppet maybe?

"Oh my God" I heard myself say blandly

"Is that the traditional greeting of your country…? Egland?"

"England" Peter corrected automatically, "and no, it's an expression of shock. Like I said, animals don't talk in England."

"But you are animals are you not?" the fox asked, tilting his head curiously

"Well, yes, but…" Peter trailed off, trying to find a way to say, civilised without offending the congregation of animals.

"We're Humans, Homo sapiens; a more evolved form of animal." Susan said scientifically, if my mind wasn't still reeling from TALKING ANIMALS! I would have joined Peter in his face palming.

"Evolved?" the dwarf piped up angrily, "What exactly would that make me then? _Your highly evolved-ness._" His voice was cold and hard, gravelly and heated. Peter sighed, stepping away from me and raising his hands calmingly.

"Forgive my sister, she thinks far too much of herself sometimes." He said giving her a look of warning. She gave him an offended look, turning her glare to the dwarf who seemed smug at her rebuff. "All we meant is that, humans are the only species we can communicate with vocally in our world." The badger seemed highly intrigued by this information.

"Have you ever asked them a direct question?" he enquired, taking on the stance of a scientist observing monkeys behaviour. On his hind legs, tilting his head and tapping his own snout with one paw.

"Well err… no..." Peter said, looking completely dumbfounded by the question

"I have!" Lucy said brightly. "I talk to birds and squirrels all the time at home but they never answer."

"Come to think of it, so did I as a child" I said slowly, Peter turning to look from me to Lucy with a thoroughly confused expression. "But none ever answered."

"But they must have understood you and simply been unable to reply in your tongue." The badger shrugged, loping back onto all fours as though this was the obvious conclusion.

"Why do you assume they can understand us at all?" Peter question again, swapping places with the Badger in the competition for the best scientist impression.

"Well if they couldn't why would you sister or wife be talking to them?" The badger asked as though he thought Peter dull. Peter resembled a fish as he stared back at the badger then to me to see my own expression of obvious fishlike-ness. Then we simultaneously shook our heads as though to shake out the confusion and frustration. Lucy giggled softly and went over to the badger which was pulling out a heavy, dusty old book. While she quizzed him on the book, Peter and I stood next to each other and had a short non-vocal conversation.

'Am I insane?' he shook his head grinning, and then widened his eyes at the animals

'They are though.' I nodded my agreement with my eyes and looked around the room before shrugging. He grimaced and finally broke our silence for a whisper in my ear.

"Apparently we're destined to break a curse of some kind; we were called her by a Prince Caspian who had a horn enchanted to call its rightful ruler to the throne. Trouble is, we don't know where he is and he's in hiding, possibly dead."

"Ah… wait- what? We're staying? But... We don't belong here; we know nothing of this place. What about our mothers? England? Our lives!" I heard myself getting louder; I just wasn't able to stop myself. I grabbed his hands tightly, I knew my nails were digging painfully into his wrists but I was too scared to stop. All I could see was us wandering in that God damned field until something else, less friendly attacked us. "Peter! I don't want to die here! We have nothing to do with this curse! All I want is to go home, get married to you, have your children and grow old with you. Please, please don't risk all that for a curse we never even knew of until now!"

He was holding me tightly to his chest, shushing me gently, stroking my hair and hiding my face from the blatant onlookers. I know I'm clinging to him like a child but I don't care either. "Ebb, honey… I don't know how to get home." I leant back to look at his face, his brow was creased, his eyebrows puckered and his lips a firm line, whitened by the pressure he was holding them together with. Everything seemed to move suddenly slower, not that this moment slowed down, just that everything up until now had been sped up. I had that nervous energy bounding through me, fight or flight? Apparently I had the choice of neither.

"We're stuck here?" he nodded, lowering his head to my ear so only I'd hear.

"I don't know what to do… help me." I couldn't speak for a moment. He was scarred, his words fast, like he had the same adrenaline rushing through him. But still his hot damp breath was on my ear, my neck, jaw and now cheek as he pulled back to watch me. I nodded. Steeling myself inside to do whatever he needed me to. He smiled slightly, his still crystal eyes seemed gentler, the sharp edges of blue softer somehow. He kissed my cheek once and when I opened my eyes again his eyes were hard. The sharp lines of crystal back and his jaw tensed slightly.

And just like that the moment went and the nervous bubbling in my stomach dissipated and he suddenly looked for the entire world like the usual, proud, in control Peter. He turned back around, clearing his throat a bit, "So where and how far away is this camp you mentioned Bertram?" he asked, looking to the beavers, the larger of which suddenly seemed to straighten and started rubbing its paws together nervously.

"It's about 7 miles west of here, there's a river and a cliff on the way too, but I think we'll do it fine in as many hours." He said, stuttering slightly and frequently glancing away from Peter's crystal gaze.

"And what's in this camp?" I asked, trying to follow Peter's lead. Susan glanced at me sideways, by now used to the way I usually hung back beside Peter but neither Edmund or Lucy seemed surprised.

"It's where you'll meet Aslan, he will show you…" I tuned out of the room for a moment. Aslan, the name meant something to me but I couldn't say what, it was good but I didn't know why. I felt Peter subtly poke my hip with his thumb and I snapped myself back into what the fox was saying. Oddly he had a rather well-to-do accent, I'd guess Chelsea but of course there was no Chelsea here. "…There will of course be accommodation and food there for you, we just need you to come and talk to him. We aren't forcing you to do this; it's just that we do have a lot depending on you." Peter and I nodded but I hadn't really heard the answer to my question.

"Right, so the faster we get going the better?" Edmund voiced, glancing between the Badger and Peter who both nodded.

"But before we go, is there anything Ebb could use as shoes?" Peter asked gesturing to my feet which, to my surprise were bare. The animals, Narnians, looked thoughtful before the dwarf spoke, still begrudgingly.

"My hut isn't far out of the way from here; she could wear a pair of my boots."

"She can't walk through the wood without shoes" the badger voiced quickly

"Pete and I are expected to go to war but she can't harm her feet?" Edmund asked, waspishly. The Narnians began to protest but Susan cut them off.

"Just stop it Ed, all you've done is argue since we got here and it's not helping anyone." Edmund stared at her for a second before scowling and crossing his arms.

"I can carry Ebony to the hut, it's fine, Su you can help Lucy, yes?" Susan nodded and Lucy bounced to her sisters' side, holding her hand excitedly. Peter glanced at his sisters for a second, worry evident in every crease he'd made in his brow. "Lead the way…" Peter trailed off, realising he didn't know the dwarf's name yet.

"Trumpkin." The dwarf grunted, passing us and walking out of the tiny round door behind us. Peter followed and soon the little underground tree house was empty. I realised there had been more animals gathered outside the little house as I looked around. Three does a centaur, two rabbits, some mice and various birds. A centaur…

"Ah you're majesty!" A small mouse said quickly, rushing forward. It had a tiny silver sword in a miniature belt around its middle. I had to hold in the 'aww' that I doubted it would appreciate. Lucy and Susan however, instantly fell into dopey eyed wrecks making squeaking noises in the back of their throats. The mouse looked at them bitterly but continued anyway as more mice stood behind him. "It is an honour to serve you! We pledge our swords to you!"

"Yes, yes" the badger said impatiently, pushing past the mice. "We are first going to follow Trumpkin to his hut there we can maybe gather the remaining dwarves and then on to camp." The Narnians nodded and followed behind the others as they quickly followed Trumpkin. Peter and I hung back a little; Peter grinned at me briefly then literally swept my legs out from under me and lifted me up bridal style again.

"This is familiar" he grinned, after getting over my initial shock I chuckled and tucked my body in against him.

"You're majesty, I can carry you if you need" the centaur said, coming up beside us. I glanced at her, seeing a dark skinned woman with big brown eyes and full lips, clad only in what appeared to be a leather corset, with a dark brown horse's body to match her hair.

"I think here is fine" I grinned, revenge is sweet. "Need to find some use for this man don't I? Who knows what the world will come to if he's left to his own devices?" Peter chuckled so I felt it against my side and shook his head. The poor woman snorted in laughter then looked panicked as if she was worried Peter would explode.

"Ha-ha, very good Ebb." He rolled his eyes but was still smiling slightly. I laughed and laid my head against his shoulder, the rocking motion was soothing as he walked. I dozed off but I was still aware of the continued conversation between Peter and the centaur named Nemweh. She was very kind if a little nervous, especially about Peter's views of his duty to carry me.


	6. Gods and Figures

I swear when I'm writing these chapters they look so long on word and then I upload them and their ridiculously short!

~6~

"Ebb" Peter says loudly, stirring me from my sleep again, he's watching me worriedly.

"Yes?" I mumble, looking up at his chin

"We're here; you're sleeping an awful lot you know." I look around, I'm still in Peter's arms but now we're on the porch of an old, miniature wooden shack with moss hanging over the roof. I wriggle a little and he sets me down carefully, flexing his arms once I'm steady to rid himself of the ache in his muscles.

"Try these" Trumpkin says bluntly, dumping a worn pair of hide boots on the floor at my bare feet. I pull them on wordlessly and they slip on easily, a little too big making them feel sloppy on my feet. They must look ridiculous paired with my green party frock and Peter's dinner jacket and I look up at Peter expectantly to see a thinly veiled smirk on his face.

"I'll make you carry me again if you say one word" I threaten, only making his grin widen.

"You look lovely Ebb, really but there's one improvement…" he leans closer and skilfully pulls the decorated hair pin letting my auburn hair cascade in half ringlets and half complete bushy mess around by shoulders. For a moment I just stand there while he grins like an idiot. I wonder vaguely if kicking him is unladylike before his smirk fades to a genuine smile. "I much prefer your hair loose" he says genuinely. The anger and indignation dissipates quickly after that and I blush and look down.

"Oh for the love of God, let's get going!" Edmund hollers from in front of the hut. Peter throws him a glare but moves off down the little steps anyway. I frown, still blushing and following him like the love sick puppy I am.

We keep walking for hours and my feet are starting the blister where the leather rubs my heel as they slide off my foot with each step. I didn't notice at first, I was lost in thoughts of God and Aslan and this war we're expected to fight in.

"It's like a parallel to our world in many ways. Back home we have God, Narnians have Aslan, we have Hitler they have the Telmarines and the witch Jadis that we've been told are evil but Aslan is to explain more to us." I muse to Peter as we walk.

"Also, if Aslan is a Deity like God, can there be two? Surely one must have been the creator of both worlds? We have the same trees, weather, ground… so which was the Original God?" Peter questions, looking up towards the sun, shielding his eyes with one hand. A squirrel told us that we were to pass into the Summer season of Narnia, when Peter asked how one walks into Summer he received a very baffled and amused look and then we watched as the squirrel ran ahead to titter with a deer about it. We exchange a confused look and fall into silence for a while. I let my mind wander onto the much less intellectual topic of how envious I was of Susan's waist, she had a perfect hourglass figure while my waist barely curved at all and Peter regularly joked of how short I was and how breakable and dainty my frame was.

"If we are to meet Aslan face to face though and we've never actually seen God, oughtn't that make our God a tad redundant?" Peter continued a good five minutes later. I looked up at him quickly and blinked.

"Why am I only a few inches taller than your twelve year old sister?" I ask bitterly. He seems surprised by the turn of conversation for a moment before grinning he slings his arm over my shoulders and pulls me against him to kiss the top of my head.

"Because if you were the same height as her I'd have to put my back out just to kiss you" he teased, loosening his hold and letting his hand slide down my back to rest on my waist, or what there was of it.

"I wish I could dye my hair, I'd like a mahogany brown or a caramel blonde." I continued, ignoring his comment. He shook his head

"I'd really rather you didn't, I prefer this colour, besides, if we walk into autumn you'll blend in nicely for camouflage." He said rolling his eyes and casting a glare at the squirrels still chatting further ahead of us. "How long have we been at the back of the group?" he asked looking behind us, I did the same and we both stopped in our tracks.

"We've walked that far?" I asked, my eyes widening, the only woods in sight were miles away across waving gentle slopes of greenery. "But we're in the middle of a huge field, we have to walk double that?" Peter chuckled and took my hand from my side, tugging me to keep up with the others. "Give me the Underground any day" I mumbled bitterly, looking ahead at the huge distance yet to cover. Peter didn't release my hand until the badger decreed that we all rest for a while, mainly because the smaller animals were tired and Lucy had been whining for a good hour now.

I was extremely grateful for the guides we had through 'Narnia', I had a terrible sense of direction. "That's the trouble with women!" Edmund quipped when I voiced this thought aloud, "They can't carry a map in their heads." He smirked and Peter chuckled quietly.

"Maybe because our heads have something in them!" Susan snapped grumpily, exercise, especially muddy gruelling exercise like this tended to make her grouchy. Still Lucy and I smiled in triumph as Ed and Pete's grins slid off.

It was late dusk and after our rest none of us felt anymore rejuvenated. If anything the half hour break had only set stiffness into my joints that I dreaded the thought of tomorrow morning. But as it got darker the Centaur, Nemweh, noticed flickering lights being lit in a cluster not far ahead of us and a little to the right. "That's it!" Trufflehunter announced excitedly, "that's camp!" I could almost feel my heart soar with happiness. I felt myself picking up the pace despite my tiredness. The thought of lying down and going to sleep making me smile despite the oddness of this situation. The mice two squirrels and the fox ran on ahead, their own bodies built for such distance and terrain easily getting to the camp in a few minutes. Then the creatures in the camp began to emerge at the edge of the flickering fire light. Centaurs, eerily clear people shaped from leaves, dwarves, deer, birds, squirrels, mice, badgers, weasels, practically all the animals I've ever seen and more. As we were almost in front of these animals a huge golden lion slunk up behind them, not making a sound as he walked with huge paws.

I couldn't help but stare at him; it was like he exuded charisma, power and magic. He looked so stoic and tame and yet I knew he was also deadly.

"Welcome Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve, welcome Narnians and I thank you" The great lion said regally, the animals all dropping into bows and curtseys at his voice. The Pevensie's and I glanced about before copying them. "Rise all, come, you must be weary from your journey. Rest tonight and we will speak more in the morn." I had a hundred questions buzzing around my head but as Aslan spoke I found I didn't care enough to ask now. I glanced at the Pevensie's and the same drowsiness seemed to have swept them except Peter, his eyes were back to the hard, sharp crystal, glancing around him suspiciously. I squeezed his arm lightly with my and he glanced down at me, smiling back thinly.

We followed Aslan through the parted Narnians who still stared at us each as we passed though the muttering had stopped. The camp was huge and each tent was big enough to fit ten sleeping humans, as well as those there were burrows dug into banks, domes made from sticks and any number of nests up high in the surrounding trees.

We were brought to three red tents that made a dome like shape, with golden tassels and lion embroidery. They were fabulous, the richest colours I had seen, even before the war began. Unable to stop myself I reached out a hand and ran my fingers over the fabric, it was soft and yet had an almost leathery texture. Aslan laughed softly, a deep rumble, not unlike that of Peter's chuckle. "What is it exactly we're expected to do here?" Peter's voice broke my amazement. Looking back he was standing watching Aslan intently, almost challenging, the way he looked at his superiors at work. His stance emanated intelligence and inclination, I was drawn back towards him merely by his leadership, retightening my hold on his arm. Aslan merely chuckled again.

"My boy, you are every bit what I'd expected and more. But for now, your wife and siblings are tired; I will answer any thing you ask of me tomorrow." Aslan gently pushed, Peter continued to stare for a second, I could imagine a million questions and thoughts whirring through his head but he nodded slightly and glanced at Lucy, who was holding both Edmund and Susan's hands drowsily. "This tent," Aslan began nodding to the one nearest us, "is Edmunds." he continued, moving off at a steady walk as Edmund nodded and practically dove into his tent without an actual goodnight. "This one is for the use of Susan and Lucy." Susan opened the tent flap but paused, looking back at us cautiously, checking where we'd be, although it was rather obvious, given that Peter had twice declined to mention we weren't yet married. "And the final tent, of course, for Mr and Mrs Peter Pevensie." I glanced up at Peter and he looked back down at me, still neither of us mentioned out lack of marriage and I was surprised that Susan didn't either. "Goodnight." Aslan nodded to us and walked away, back into the mix of tents. Peter and I shared a look for a moment, it didn't confirm anything, it didn't say anything, we were simply looking at each other, and then Peter moved away to Lucy who was watching us silently, her thumb rested suspiciously on her bottom lip though Susan had always scolded her for sucking it.

"Goodnight Lu, I'll see you in the morning, we're just next door if you need us and Susan will be with you all night, okay?" he said gently, bending his knees to hold her still by her shoulders, subtly removing her hand before Susan saw. Lucy nodded jerkily and glanced up at me past Peter's shoulder. I leant forward to kiss her head and smiled as she went back to Susan and went inside. Susan smiled at us for a second, knowingly and a little smugly before we said goodnight and we all went inside.

~Sorry this is taking so long, the chapters aren't ever as long as they feel and not a lot seems to be happening at the moment but I promise it will! If nothing else its good to read before going to sleep right?~


	7. True Love Or True Lust?

**~7~**

Inside the tent was huge and beautiful. The walls were made with draped golden silk, laid out in a circular shape and fully furnished in what seemed to be oak, more like a house than a tent. Peter and I stood silently, staring around the room. There was a delicate oak vanity table next to me with a wooden rail filled with floor length dresses of all different textures and colours, ranging from dull browns to vibrant yellows. Beside that was a solid oak trunk, I bent to open it and found it filled with breeches, tunics and shirts which I assumed were Peter's seem as they'd drown me. And in the middle back of the room was a large bed, low on the floor, covered in soft red and gold quilts with a fur blanket on top. I glanced at Peter to see him inspecting a wooden manikin dressed in gold and red plated and embroiled armour. I pulled off the worn boots and threw them to the corner by my dresses. I went to his side, seeing the frown on his face. My feet ached from the walk and I could feel the blisters weeping where the boots had rubbed me. I reached out a hand and touched the cool gold metal of the breast plate.

"I have a bad feeling about this" I muttered, looking back at his face. He's frowning, the hard crystal still in his eyes.

"Let's try not to think about it until the morning when we can get answers." I nod, thinking of something to change subject quickly.

"Alright, I'm exhausted anyway. Where do you suppose night clothes would be?" I frowned, checking in all my dresses but the closest I found was a long, gypsy style dress with a brown leather bodice.

"Under the pillows" Peter said, holding up a loose fitted cream shirt made from cotton and then, moving the other pillow he found some cream silky material. He raised his eye brows at it as I approached nervously. He pulled the fabric out and held it up. It was a long, floor length, sleek night dress with simple over the shoulder straps, fitted around the waist and bust with a cut going up from the hem on the left side up to where my thigh would be.

"They can't be serious" I whispered, feeling heat rising up my neck again, filling my face. I reached for it from Peter and he watched me carefully, a slighter blush of his own across his cheeks and down his neck. I sighed and glanced about for a changing screen or something, there wasn't one.

"I'll just be-" he broke off, his blush intensifying as he wandered back over to the other side of the room where an oak desk sat, littered with maps and books on Narnian culture. I waited until he'd started studying a scrolled up map before I quickly slid the zip at the side of my dress down to my hips and shimmied it down. I watched it pool around my ankles before stepping out of it. It was the nicest piece of clothing I'd had in a long while since the war and now it was dirtied and ripped in parts from traipsing through woods for hours. I wondered if I ought to sleep with my bra on tonight but I frowned, glancing up at Peter's back and realising he wouldn't over step the boundary to find out even if I asked him to. It's a rather annoying feature of his, nobility. I slid the dress over my head and glanced about for a mirror, the only one I could see was on the vanity table, just within his line of sight. Unable to prevent the childish pout that crossed my face I ran my fingers through my bushy hair, naturally it was straight but I'd styled it so much for the party that seemed years ago now but my hair was stubbornly stuck in its volumous pose until I could wash it. I glanced about in hope of inspiration but still feeling self-conscious, particularly of the slit cut into the dress, going far further up my leg than was proper, I felt better to get in the bed and hide myself under the covers.

"So, we're married already are we?" I teased, sitting down on the bed, trying my very best to look sultry like the women on those posters in London. "Did I sleep through our wedding day?" He laughed lightly, turning to face me.

"I just didn't want them to try and separate us. It's hard enough to look after my siblings, besides, it's not as though we've never shared a bed." I couldn't help the dark, unattractive blush that took over my face at that.

"Yes" I gasped, looking down, "in a room shared by your brother or in a shelter with your whole family." He frowned and tilted his head at me

"Would you rather I ask them to put a bed in my sisters' tent for you? If it makes you uncomfortable I can go-"

"No" I said quickly, "I didn't mean that. Merely that this is a definite step further." He paused for a moment until I managed to stop blushing enough to meet his eyes. He smiled then and came to sit next to me on the bed. I could feel the heat of his body against my arm through the thin velvet of my new dress. He turned his face to me and smiled, leaning closer. I closed my eyes and happily allowed his lips to press mine lightly. He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine. He was always in control, always the one to lead and I merely followed his suite.

Back when we were in school and reading history or talking about Hitler, the other girls in my class would always say how odd it was that such evil men had loyal wives. But I'd always thought maybe not, that my class mates just didn't understand. I was lucky; Peter was no evil genius, just a genius. But if he had been evil and did bad things, I'd still have stuck by him. I'd have still happily cooked his dinner for when he came home and washed his clothes like any good wife ought. I can't even explain why.

"Do you keep thinking we'll wake up soon?" he asked softly, rubbing his nose against mine a little. I nodded, not 100% sure my voice could stay normal pitch when he was this close. He sighed and leaned his face away again but not before his hot breath brushed across my face rather enticingly. "Then I suppose we can't both be having the same dream… besides, the logical part of me said it was an awfully long dream anyway." I tried to judge his expression but all I could see was his neck and jaw from my position under his heavy arm.

"And if it had been a dream?" I ask; my curiosity about Peter's inner thoughts never failed to burn at me insistently. He smirked and chuckled darkly, finally turning his crystal gaze back on me. I suddenly felt very hot.

"Then I may have influenced you as I so choose and there be no consequences." He stared me down for a moment in which I was completely frozen.

"I think you already influence me far more then you know." I say, trying to sound provocative but just sounding plain nervous. He grinned and kissed my forehead, then my closed eyes and finally my lips.

"Not as much as I'd like to, I assure you" he murmured, his lips brushing on mine as he spoke.

"I would not tell a soul if you did" I say, very aware of the fact that I'm basically begging right now. He laughs in his throat, that way only men can. Then he kisses my lips once again and pulls me down, bringing the bed covers up over our bodies and slipping his arm around me securely.

"Sleep, love. It was foolish of me to bring up such things right now. I want to be wed to you and do everything properly, I may not know if there is a God in our world but I've seen one in this and I don't want to wrong either." I watched him blow out the candle and watched his dark shape as he lay down beside me but I couldn't close my eyes. That was the closest we'd ever come and I wished so much it had been more. Every time he did this, considered that he could just take me as his own and then decide against it, I felt a little loss in my heart. Maybe I wasn't desirable enough? Sometimes I really despise how much I care what he thinks.

I wake the next morning to the feel of something warm and firm moving from under my cheek. I open my eyes quickly, realising what it was. Peter paused when I sat up suddenly. "Go back to sleep Ebb, I'm going to scout around this camp, see what's happening out there." Now he mentioned it, I could hear an awful lot of hustle going on outside. Ignoring Peter's advice, despite my weariness, I began to stretch.

"What do you suppose happened?" After he didn't answer for a long moment I look at him and follow his gaze to my thigh, the dress I'd completely forgotten about had slipped over revealing my entire leg to him, from hip to toe. I blush and throw the silk back over my leg and wriggle back into the covers to hide my whole body. After a moment Peter laughs again.

"I don't understand you sometimes, Ebony. Last night, I thought- and you, and then this morning you're attitude changed completely." He wasn't angry or irritated nothing but genuinely confused. Now he mentioned that too, I knew he was right. I looked down and blushed.

"I know… I'm confused." He just smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips on my forehead.

"I won't push you to anything, don't convince yourself you need to let me do anything to keep me here. I won't leave you." He promised, running his thumb over my cheek and then pulling on a pair of leather boots and going. I think vaguely that he's still in his night clothes but I close my eyes and consider his words instead. Was all this just some sub conscious need to please and keep him? It sounded about right. Maybe he's right about love too… do I know what it is? I feel like I love him but how do I know this isn't just attraction and there's a higher level which is love that I haven't reached yet? But I'd do anything for him, isn't that love?

I sigh in frustration and throw the covers off, getting off the bed quickly and stomping over to the dresses. I stare at them for a while. What am I meant to be dressing for? I never even saw a dress like this when the Queen came to visit our school that day about six years ago. I pick out a very dark purple one, more of a black with a violet hue really. It's simple and yet extravagant. Just a plain silk dress, fitted to my figure with long sleeves that would pool around my wrists; it is floor length so it will brush the ground as I walk. I pull it over my head in place of the silk nightdress, tucking that one quickly under the pillow and making the bed. I go to the vanity table and brush the kinks and frizz from my hair leaving it relatively smooth and even, pulling the front back behind my head and fastening it with an ornate hair grip of gold.

I am examining my makeup smeared face when Peter returns with Aslan at his side. I pause and stay silent as Peter glances around before his gaze falls on me.

"I need to speak to you all" Aslan said solemnly then left. His voice held authority and warning but he turned and left, leaving Peter to sigh and walk silently to his trunk. I had a heavy feeling in my stomach from his expression.


	8. Words of Revelation

~8~

"What's the matter?" I ask, turning away from the vanity table. He didn't answer or look at me for a long moment, just pulled his loose cotton shirt over his head and donned a simple red cotton tunic instead. But he sighed and his shoulders sagged dejectedly. I stood behind him until I could feel the warmth of his body heat and placed a hand on his which was limply holding a pair of tan trousers.

"Ed's gone and I don't know where and I don't know why." He said softly. I had no idea what to say to that but I didn't need to soon after as he simply turned to me, dropping the trousers on the floor and winding his arms around my waist. I leant automatically into the hug and felt him press a firm kiss to the top of my head while I put my arms around his neck. He'd never held me like this before, not even in the air raids. I felt more important to him than ever, like I had to ground him somehow. I let myself stop analysing him for a moment, stopped trying to decide what our relationship was, what he thought of me, why he did everything he did, I just let my instincts guide my actions.

"It seems bad, but we'll work it out. You always do, we'll go get him ourselves if we have to." I rubbed my thumbs into the tight wound muscles on his shoulders and back. He seemed to relax against me, rubbing the stubble on his chin against my forehead accidentally as he looked down at my face. His eyes were merged shades of blue again, I was beginning to see a pattern of when he was content and we were among sure friends his eyes were soft, and when we were in public they were hard and crystallised. He pressed his lips against mine once, then kissing my bottom lip gently. My hands slid from his shoulders to his chest and then down his stomach, it could feel the ridges of muscle all along his torso and my fingers dragged down the fabric eager to feel his body. When we opened our eyes after a long paused moment he smiled at me, kissed the side of my neck seductively and then pulled back.

"Thank you" he said softly. I smiled back hazily and returned to the vanity to plait my hair and use the face cloth to rid myself of make-up smears. When I turned back, my blush having faded, he was watching me, changed into the tan trousers on with brown leather boots over them, leaning against the wardrobe by the entrance. "Ready?" he asked, his voice, though still deep, was smoother and more relaxed. I nodded and he took my hand as we left to find Aslan and the others.

They were all gathered around outside Edmunds tent, with a faun, two centaurs, the beavers and mice. Judging by their faces they all knew and when Lucy looked up she launched herself against Peter, burying her face in his tunic. "I'm sorry Lu" he hushed her, stroking her hair. Aslan's eyes were unrevealing as he stared at the scene before him. I turned away from his gaze just as it shifted to me; I knelt beside Lucy and touched her shoulder, encouraging her towards me. Once she'd wrapped herself around me instead of Peter, he moved to Aslan and Susan, the latter's eyes showing disapproval.

"You ought to have been watching him, instead you were frolicking about pretending to be married!" she said angrily, her gaze shifting to me. She may as well have slapped me for the feeling it gave me. I looked down, my face bright red, staring at the crown of Lucy's head, my eyes stinging for the shame.

"Susan!" Peter snapped; his gaze and stance angrier than ever before. To her credit, Susan didn't cower, merely looked away and shifted awkwardly, realising what she'd said. "I'm sorry for this but it is merely easier watch over my family this way." Peter says, turning to Aslan, not seeming even slightly humbled as the lion made me feel.

"I already knew this; it is not news to me." The lion said calmly. "However, we do need to find your brother. We can send a search party."

"I would like to go myself actually." Peter said quickly. Aslan regarded him with a look that was a concoction of admiration and warning.

"It is not wise, we have no knowledge of where he's gone, nor you of this land."

"I will take a guide, I simply have to go."

"And I." I said, extracting myself from Lucy and going to Peter. He looked at me for a long moment before nodding and turning to Aslan.

"But first, you must explain what we are here for." Peter said sternly. The lion smiled, ever so slightly. His dark brown eyes were as hard and crystallised as Peters.

"You, Son, are a leader if ever I saw one." Peter didn't reply, just stared back at the lion. Finally Aslan bowed his head. "I called you here because you're land needs you." Aslan nodded in to Edmund's tent and Peter led the way in, his sisters and I followed and Aslan came in last. Lucy returned to her position wrapped around Peter's waist until he hoisted her up like a baby. Sometimes it got to me how Peter had to bring up Lucy and Ed like they were his own children, they'd both known Peter to look after then either of their parents. Their father had worked long hours in a construction line as long as any of them could remember, determined to give his children a chance at a good education and a higher quality of life. Their mother had worked in a sewing factory to help feed her four children and husband and as a result, eight year old Peter had been left to look after first baby Ed and then baby Lucy, as a result of never being parted from her oldest brother, until he turned sixteen and went into full time education, Lucy had become all but incapable of coping with even a small problem without Peter near. Like an especially coddled child.

"What do you expect us to do? We know nothing of this land, nor the people, your traditions, political system-"

"Peter look around, their still using swords and shields for Christ sake! I don't think their political system is particularly advanced." Susan said, folding her arms and glaring at Ed's trunk on which leant a silver shield.

"Su, do you always have to be so pig headed?" Peter said exasperatedly, not bothering to correct her. I looked away from her as she cast death looks at Peter's profile but he was once again focused on Aslan. I stroked Lucy's back gently and she turned to me, catching Peter's eye I took her off him and sat down on the edge of Ed's bed, with Lu cradled in my lap. "It's hardly our land." Peter said, finally to the lion. "We've never set foot in it before."

"Yes you have." Aslan said calmly, we all just stared at him, Lucy even stopped sniffing. "Well, Peter, you have. You were born here. Raised here for the first four months of your life, when you were a cub you used to swim in the very river you waded through to get here." There was a long moment of stunned silence, I felt a little light headed and thoroughly confused. Peter is silent, watching the lion like he was either insane or dangerous, both. "You are not of England, not even that world but this one. You are my son; I took you to England where no one would know you, to keep you safe." Aslan morphed then, his golden fur grew back into his skin, his mane shortened and became softer, human hair, his eyes became an almond shape, just a little wider than Peter's, he stood on his two human legs and straightened his back importantly. Susan stared for a long second and then slapped her hands over Lucy's eyes, looking away and blushing deep crimson. I felt my face go bright red at what I'd caught a glimpse of and stared at the floor. I heard Peter stuttering beside me and then the soft thud of fabric as he threw something at the naked man in the room.

"You couldn't have been even a little more decent about that in front of my little sister?" he hissed angrily and after a moment of rustling fabric, Aslan cleared his throat and I slowly looked up, feeling a bit shocked still. Aslan was an immaculate man, similar to Peter but not the same. They had the same hair, facial structure, lips, nose and build but their eyes were different as were their attitudes. Peter was broader shouldered where Aslan was taller. Peter was suspicious and cunning where Aslan trusting and open. Peter's eyes were azure blue where Aslan's were warm hazel. The latter was now dressed in a pair of cotton breeches and a blue tunic which were a bit too small so they clung onto his body but it was preferable to the awkward nakedness.

"You're mother was a fairy-"

"You what?" Peter choked, his eyebrows inching toward his hair line. Aslan just nodded and sat down on the desk at the far side of the tent. "I- my mother in Finchley?"

"No!" Aslan said quickly. "She isn't you physical mother, neither was William Pevensie your father. I am your father and the _fairy_, Weeva of Narnia, was your mother. Biologically, Edmund, Susan and Lucy aren't you're sisters. I chose a good man that bore a resemblance to me in human form whom I knew would raise you well. I instilled my own memories of your birth to William and Helen. You were born in Spring Narnia," here Peter and I exchanged a dubious look but didn't comment, "my relationship with your mother was highly frowned upon, I was meant to marry a Goddess you see, to anyone else your mother was just one of a million spring fairies. But we were young and in love and you were born and people quickly realised that you were far more than a little God had hope to be, let alone a mortal half God. You had both fairy magic mastered within a few weeks and were shifting easily between lion form and human which took me almost 300 years to master. You have the ambition of a mortal and the power of a God; you were a danger to all the thrones not just of Narnia but of this world. I have never been as blinded to the world as I was in those few months as a happy father, not even your mother made me that unwise. Armies invaded our content little fort and they killed your mother as she ran back inside to tell me of the threat. I was too distraught to fight them so I simply removed you from their grasps. I took you to England, told them they'd never find you in this world or the next."

Peter sat down on the bed heavily; Lucy watched him carefully, like she thought he'd turn into a lion and attack her any second. I couldn't quite move, there was just too much to think about, the effects of this news were massive. Slowly Peter looked up, first to Aslan who was merely watching us with a blank expression. Then to me, I made a point to smile and nod slightly, keeping his gaze with mine. His eyes were as crystal as they'd been on that cliff, he slowly moved his eyes to Susan who blinked slightly and looked down in surprise, of what I wasn't sure. Then he looked at Lucy and she flinched away just slightly. Peter's jaw locked instantly and I could hear his teeth grinding each other in the silence of the tent. His hands fisted on his knees and he kept staring at her.

"Stop looking at me like that." He all but hissed at her and she looked away too, shifting away from him on the bed. He kept staring at the side of her head and tears welled in his eyes, he heaved in a breath and then left quickly through the tent flap. I couldn't help but gape at Lucy. He'd raised her! How could she think he was any different now? Then I looked at Susan who was pointedly looking at her shoes.

"I understand this is a big thing to find out but how could you react like this?" I said, surprised at how my usually weak voice sounded so utterly enraged and annoyed. Susan looked up at me.

"You don't understand, you don't have brothers or sisters, can't you see? He's not who we knew him to be? If he isn't our brother then what is he?" I stared for a moment then looked to Aslan but he was merely looking perplexed in the general direction of the exit.

"Bugger it, I don't understand you!" I said to the group as I left, I looked all around me for Peter and felt panic rising in my chest as I headed to our shared tent. I looked around but there was no sign he'd even come back, then in the corner of my eye I noticed a group of faun's bow lowly, seemingly spontaneously. Then I noticed a lion, a young lion by the look of him, not quite fully grown his mane yet. He slunk along, low to the ground as though unsure how to walk fluidly in this form. I rushed across the camp, weaving between busy creatures, sliding and twisting, my dress got caught around my ankles a few time but I kicked it away and kept going until I was close enough to shout. "Peter!" He stopped and dropped into the grass on the outskirts of the camp where it was longer, I could almost not see him but I knew where he was. "Don't you dare hide from me!" I shouted, again surprised by the anger in my voice. He was too apparently because he got up as quickly as if I'd whipped him and looked at me with not animalistic blue eyes. It was odd, to see such blue eyes on a lion… that I love… I am in love with a huge cat.


	9. A Whole New Family

~9~

"I didn't mean to shout." I say quickly, dropping onto the grass beside him, he's quiet for a minute, watching me silently. I have grown used to expecting animals to talk, strangely quickly.

"I don't know how I'm meant to react." He slowly sunk back into the grass, his eyes still watching me warily as though he expected me to run to. "I came outside and I just imagined if I'd grown up a lion and then next thing I knew I had paws. Surely this isn't real." I nodded.

"I don't know what to think myself. But Peter, Lucy and Susan will come round; I think it's just a shock." I said gently. He nodded and we fell back into silence. I watched him while he watched the view behind me, looking out across 'summer Narnia.' "Can I stroke you?" I asked suddenly, not really thinking my wording through. He looked up at me and smirked, it was odd to see a lion smirk but he definitely did. I went bright red and my mouth fell open. He rumbled another chuckle from his chest and laid his head back down contentedly on his huge front paws.

"Of course." I slid my hand from my lap and ran my fingers through his short but thick mane. It was coarser than his normal hair. My fingers slip through it easily though and then onto the softer, silkier fur of his back, I swear I can hear him purr and he shifts closer to me, lying down alongside me now, I notice his eyes are closed and he's smiling slightly. "I can't control the purring." He mumbles, prodding my side with his nose as though to say 'but don't stop'. I feel my cheeks aching with the width of my smile now. I run my hand down his back as far as I can reach, to where his sides narrow before his hind legs which are drawn in close under him. I pause then and wait a moment until he opens one eye to look at me, I smile and lie down on my side, propping my head up with an elbow and using my other arm to comb through his mane again.

"This is certainly not how I expected today to go, and it's not yet midday." I say quietly, thinking back on the day, and then we both stiffen. He's suddenly alert, sitting up and looking at me.

"Edmund." He got up to his… paws and I was surprised to realise even as a lion his shoulders came up to just above my hips. "I need to get a change of clothes, mine ripped." He said vaguely and I found walking beside him in lion form a bit odd, I'd normally hold his hand to weave through London. I threaded my fingers through his mane and felt his shoulders flexing beneath his fur. We got back into our tent, after being bowed and curtsied to awkwardly the entire walk there, I don't particularly want to get used to that. I went over to the trunk and pulled out a pair of dark green breeches and a cream cotton shirt, I threw them over to him and carried on rummaging through the clothes out of interest. I found two leather gauntlets and picked them up, admiring the detailed stitching in gold thread that decorated the border and made padded lines down where his wrists would be. I threw them towards him as well.

"It's so surreal seeing stuff like this in everyday use, we learnt about this medieval stuff in school." I mused and threw a matching leather jerkin over my arm as I stood. He was struggling with the leather ties that held the gauntlets together so I quickly crossed to him, surprising myself at how easily I worked out the knots to tie it. I could feel his breath fan my face warningly but I kept my head bowed and tried to concentrate. If I looked up now I knew he'd be watching me with those bloody 'come hither' eyes that made me forget things. Next I had him put his arms through the leather jerkin so I could tie the string going up his chest. Finally done I stepped back and realised that this kind of attire definitely suited him more than his suits ever did in London.

"You've been inspecting me a lot lately." Peter commented, a smirk growing on his lips. I felt myself flush but looked to his eyes anyway. They were soft again, like they'd always been back in England.

"I want to go home." I whispered, the thought of life in England made me feel hollow. I wanted to go back to the times when I walked down the road and people smiled in greeting as I passed, not bowed to me. I wanted the familiarity of knowing where I was, how to get to the shops, school, libraries, Peter's house, work or his mother's house, I missed knowing what was around me. We may have been at war at home but at least Peter wasn't to lead it. I closed my eyes as tightly as I could and felt him pulling me against his chest. It was like he was trying to protect me but I don't know what from. I pulled away from his chest, brushing my cheeks dry and pushed my way through the tent flaps, ignoring his confused calls. For once in my life I am not going to be the damsel in distress dithering and wavering about relying that Peter would save me.

Outside a beautiful white unicorn stood watching as Peter stepped out beside me. It was strange, I'd always imagined them to glitter or shine or do something magical but it was literally a white horse with a twirled bone horn, admittedly a very beautiful horse. "I am Vasadal, your majesties; I have heard rumours of your going in search of Prince Edmund. I am the swiftest of foot, silent and tactful; I would be honoured to carry you there." The unicorn bowed her head and bent a front leg until her horn tip touched the floor. I looked to Peter.

"I won't need a horse but you could." Peter said slowly.

"I can't ride!" I shouted, he knew that!

"Then a unicorn is the best place to learn." Aslan said as he slunk towards them. Peter's skin glowed again, like it did on the cliff but then it faded quickly. The sight of it replaced any thoughts of riding and I turned to Aslan.

"Why have Peter's eyes and skin changed since he came back to Narnia?" Aslan chuckled and nodded like I'd pleased him.

"Peter, despite appearance is in no part human. The moment his bare skin touched anything part of this world he became increasingly fairy, the biggest difference between this world and yours is the magic here when the magic of yours has long since been spent. Peter drinks in magic through his skin and now when he sees something that peaks his memories of magic, of Narnia, he will automatically increase his intake and will glow until he forgets again. His eyes are the eyes of his mother," Aslan sighed, glanced up at Peter and then down to his paws before squaring his shoulders and staring me in the face. "The eyes of a fairy, fairies expel their power through their eyes, it crystallises in their eyes when they get a rush of emotion, which in their natural habitat would usually be fear and the need to defend themselves, though obviously any strong emotion can trigger it. If Peter should wish it enough at any given moment he can expel raw magic from his eyes. Fairies are the only natural creature of Narnia that can produce raw magic."

"Are there any fairies in camp?" Peter asked. He'd moved so close behind me I could feel his warmth on my back and a moment later his hands on either side of my waist. Aslan nodded, and inclined his head, leading us towards a group of people who were sitting cross legged on the floor making arrows. I glanced up at Peter but he seemed wary. His lips were set firmly and his skin glowed, lighter than before but glowed all the same.

"The woman, with the brown hair in braids and the red dress…" Peter trailed off and I looked over at the middle aged woman in confusion.

"Your aunt as it happens." Aslan nodded, "Xena!" the woman looked up and smiled then paused, putting her arrow down slowly as her eyes travelled over Peter. She quickly got up and brushed her wisps of loose hair back, picking up her red silk skirts which clung to her slender but tall figure gracefully.

"Peter" she said warmly, as she got closer, her eyes were brimmed with tears but she was smiling so widely it looked sore and the creases in the corners of her eyes became more prominent. "Ah, you kept our eyes" she whispered softly, I stepped to his side so she was standing before him. "We weren't sure at the time if your eyes were only blue as a baby; we thought you'd grow out of them." She reached a hand up to his cheek haltingly as though scarred he'd disappear but still wanting to know. Peter didn't flinch but kept his eyes on hers, his eyes were as hard as diamond now and he was glowing again. "You remember me?" she asked gently, stroking her soft thumb tenderly over his cheek. He nodded.

"You used to tell my mother to let me be when she thought I should be careful." Xena nodded, her eyes as hard crystal as his and tears streamed down her face at the memories but her smile was still wide as were her eyes. "You… lived in a… tree?" his voice was questioning and baffled but she only laughed and flung her arms around his much broader and taller frame. I felt over whelmed; Peter had a whole other family here, one far different from the one at home. As I thought of this I looked around for Lucy and Susan to see their reaction but realised quickly that they weren't even around. I couldn't help the tinge of sadness on my face as Peter turned Xena towards me, placing a hand on my back, the way he had at the party, but that felt so long ago now. "This is my fiancée from London, Ebony." The woman smiled broadly, her eyes were twinkling as the sun caught her diamond eyes.

"You're engaged" she breathed, reached forward and hugging me tightly to her. She made a sound of happiness in her throat against my ear which made me jump but she only held me back by my shoulders as she looked at me. "Oh you're so pretty and _tiny_!" she exclaimed, touching my cheek with a gentle hand. I felt my face blushing but I wasn't sure if it was embarrassment at the compliment or indignation at the tone as though I were a fluffy kitten. "You must both tell me everything about your London!" she said, beginning to pull us back to the other fairies but Peter caught her hand and held her fast.

"We can't right now, I'm sorry. My brother- adopted brother, Edmund, he's gone missing and we need to be about finding him now." Peter said softly but firmly, the same tone he used with his siblings. She nodded sadly, her expression becoming serious.

"Well, before you go-" she patted her skirts down and then pulled out a pale gold pocket watch on a long, delicate necklace, she cupped it in her hands for a moment then looked back up, first to Peter then to me, smiling sadly. "This is called the hearts compass. It will always lead you home, no matter where you are. It hasn't worked for me since the day the fort burned. I want you to wear it Ebony, let Narnia become your home so we may keep our King." I nodded slowly, feeling that this gift was probably the best I'd ever have. She beamed again and slipped the chain around my neck in one motion, kissing my cheek as she did.

"Thank you" I murmured, looking at the compass face, its needle pointing to my right, towards our tents. I smiled warmly and she turned to Peter, kissing his cheek and then stepping back.

"When you return, you must come and see me, and your siblings. You should meet your cousins and uncle too." She smiled and nodded to Aslan who'd slunk back to us as the conversation ended. Aslan ushered us to a centaur who nodded as we approached.

"This is Orion, he will be your guide, and these saddle bags have clothes, food and water to last about a month if rationed."

"A month?" Susan's voice said suddenly from behind me.

AN: Sorry for the wait and the ridiculousness of this chapter, AKA Peter's heritage, but it's not as bad as it sounds right now, besides, if it were true imagine the banter you could have about it, almost as good as a sparkly vampire


	10. Not All that Glitters is Gold

~10~

"The amount is only a precaution but it is possible, we don't know where your brother will be." Aslan said solemnly. Lucy snivelled loudly and hugged Peter around the waist tightly. Susan sighed and rolled her eyes.

"It's alright Peter, you go right ahead and abandon us here for weeks in a foreign and savage world, unprotected." She said, folding her arms and looking away theatrically.

"Really Susan, you ought to have gone to drama school." I said, feeling more than a little irritated with her behaviour today. Yes, I knew she was stressed, so were all of us, but she was being a bitch about it. She didn't say anything only glared at me and Peter for his part, moved the conversation as fast as he could.

"We won't be away that long, Su and I f we don't go whose going to find Ed?" She only grumbled and flounced off, pulling Lucy away by her hand.

"Don't worry Peter, I will watch over them." Aslan said solemnly. "This is to aid you, when the time should come to use it. A dwarf with a wizened black beard held out a sword in a brown leather sheath. It had a silvery gold hilt with red leather twined around the handle with intricate leaf and swirl patterns etched into the metal. Peter's brow furrowed as he cautiously lifted it from the dwarfs outstretched hands. He turned it over twice and glanced up at Aslan before drawing it from the sheath slowly. It was made from the same odd silvery gold as the hilt but etched into the fuller was 'Non oritur sol super quam rex'.

"Latin…" Peter murmured, his brow furrowing deeper.

"What does it say?" I asked, leaning over his arm slightly. He tilted it to show me. "The sun will not set until the King rises." I looked at him questioningly but he was already looking at Aslan.

"You are the King Peter. This land is yours and these people are the ones that have hoped and prayed for your return. That sword was made here, only a few years after I took you away. The dwarves made it ready for your return; they've been waiting for you Peter."

"Why not you? You're their King. I never even knew of this place, we thought it was France!"

"I am not to be King here. I don't have the- the heart anymore. I am immortal Peter, I hope you never come to realise the pain of that. I find myself unable to love the land as I used to, to even love living. Happiness is fleeting and far between for me. I had to watch your mother die and give away all I had left of her, now I have you back but someday I will have to bury you too. There is no torture more than that."

Peter has never found trusting easy, I can't really see why but he has gut instincts of people and if he doesn't trust you to begin with he probably never will. He seemed very on the fence about Aslan right now, and I wondered if he had a feeling or if he was just battling logic. "We need to get Ed" he said shortly, nodding to Aslan and turning on his heel back to Susan who was looking very disgruntled.

After all the introductions and preparations, then the awkward talk with Aslan and dealing with Susan's grumbles of 'officially being the eldest sibling now, since Peter was abandoning her and Lucy', I was finally faced with the reality of getting on a horse. Vasadal waited patiently for her part, she even wore a saddle and bit-less bridle that she wouldn't normally allow, but still it was unnerving. I gripped the leather of the saddle firmly and tried to remember not to kick Vasadal's flank as I swung my leg over. I put my foot in the stirrup and wondered briefly at how high the unicorn actually was before Peter's large hand enclosed on my ankle and pulled it up until my other leg was straight enough to hold me, then his hands were on my side, stopping me from falling back as I sat down. For a long moment I just stared at the floor from my great height.

"Alright up there?" Peter asked teasingly. I glared at him, holding the leather straps shakily. He put his hand over mine and lowered them a little bit, and then he held my foot and pulled my heel down gently. "Feel safer?" he asked, looking back at me. I did, oddly, like I was further into the saddle, so I nodded. "Grip with your knees not with your heels" he added, patting my thigh absently and then stepping back.

"How do you know all this?" He ginned again.

"You're father took me to the race track a few times to see his friends horses." I felt my jaw drop a little and my eyes widen.

"You never told me that." I said, unable to control the accusation in my tone. He grinned again.

"He made me promise not to, gave me a few stern talking's to while we were there as well."

"Why?" He smiled sadly then, looking down at his hand which was still rested on my thigh.

"He thought I made you grow up to fast." I didn't really know what to say to that, it was true and we both knew it. I'd wanted for so long to impress Peter with my mature and sensible ways, to show him I'd be a good wife. "If only he knew I'd drag you off the face of the planet as well."

"Do you think they know we're gone yet?" I'd been thinking about it a lot, but didn't really want to think of our parents coming back to an empty bomb shelter and no children.

"Yes." Peter sighed and looked up at me, dropping his hand and smiling before his body shrunk down onto paws and his skin became golden fur. This was the first time I actually saw him change, and I couldn't help but laugh when his huge paws had to bat off the remains of his breeches.

"Ready you're majesty?" Orion asked, tapping a hoof as he stood beside Peter.

"Peter will do and yes, where to first?"

"To the centre where all Narnia meets, from there we will be able to get to the enemy strong holds." Orion said in his grave, serious voice.

"Who exactly is the en-" At that moment I couldn't hold on anymore and I slid over the side of the saddle, grasping at the leather and leaving nail marks all across the soft brown material. Vasadal had stopped though and the loss of movement allowed me to hold myself in place, one foot hanging by her hooves but not quite on the ground and the other leg still hooked over her back with my foot caught in the opposite stirrup. I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to fall to get back on when Peter's huge paw propped up on Vasadal's shoulder and the other pushed me up far stronger than I'd expected and I almost slid off the other side.

"This is ridiculous; we've barely got half a mile yet. I can still see camp!" I said in exasperation while I clung onto the front of the saddle.

"You're sitting to rigidly," Peter said, dropping back to his paws, "if you don't move with Vasadal then you'll get swayed off by her movements."

"Well I'd like to see you try it, genius!" I snapped, glaring at him, he only blinked and then gave me another lioney grin.

"That's not a bad idea." Vasadal said, turning her head to look at us. "If Peter gets on with you to show you how to sit, just until you get the position and you don't have to direct me so you don't really need to learn to _ride_ just yet." I looked from her to Peter who was looking at me for approval, I nodded with a roll of my eyes.

"Shouldn't you be changing back to human form now?" I huff, I know my mood isn't helping but this all just seems so out stretched; only two bloody days ago I was getting ready for a dinner party in London, hoping to fit in with the upper classes, now I was trying to ride a unicorn to retrieve Peter's _adopted_ brother from some invisible foe!

"Uh, I'll need trousers at least." Peter reminds me shyly, glancing behind him as though to check he wasn't already wearing some.

"Oh right!" I blushed and quickly rifled through the saddle bags to find another cotton shirt and what appeared to be tights. I held them up and raised an eyebrow. "Well their too long to be mine so I assume these are what you're to wear?" Peter looks completely exasperated.

"I preferred the breeches" he grumbles as I drop them on his back and watch him disappear behind a tree. He's only there for a moment then I hear a girly giggle.

"Please tell me that was you" I say, feeling a huge grin on my face, stretching my chapped lips.

"Uh no." Peter says, even gruffer than usual, "there's a girl behind here made of leaves, and she won't turn around." I stay in silence for a second before Peter stumbles out in the brown leggings and no shirt, followed a little too closely by a woman made hundreds of tiny lush green leaves. The leaves giggled again, dancing around Peter like the most perverted tree in the history of dendrophilia. Some of her leaves fluttered out, brushing on his face and arms. I was both furious and utterly confused at the same time.

"She's a tree dryad." Orion said like an encyclopaedia.

"Well, is there a way to ward her off?" Peter asked, struggling to pull his shirt from the dryads grip to put it on.

"Afraid not." Orion smiled wryly. Peter released his shirt and folded his arms irritably when she didn't offer it back. Instead she danced away again, holding it up tauntingly.

"Excuse me!" I shouted, feeling more than a bit put out. She was pretty with her perfect figure, even if she was made of leaves, and she was dancing around flirting with my betrothed? "Kindly give my husband's shirt back immediately, and be off with you!" I narrowed my eyes at her. She looked from me, as though only now noticing me, Orion and Vasadal, then back at Peter dejectedly holding out the shirt, which Peter snatched back grumpily. She giggled as he lifted his arms to pull it over his head then dissolved into the tree behind her. Peter was bright red by the time he had his shirt on properly and kept looking at the tree with a scowl that made his normally handsome face quite unattractive.

"Well, that was well dealt with." Orion said, obviously amused. Vasadal snorted and tossed her head, reminding me that I was sitting on a horse; I instantly tensed up and brought my hands up to my chin. Vasadal sighed and shook her head which in turn shook the shoulders I was balanced on. I squeaked as I began to slip but felt Peter's hand push me back up by my hip.

"At this rate we'll get to the centre next year." Orion grumbled, folding his arms. Peter cast him a glare but I knew he was right. This was ridiculous.

"He's right; I'm only holding you all up! I'd be better off walking!"

"It's alright Ebony!" Peter said, throwing his hands in the air. He took my foot out of the stirrup, and then held the front of the saddle with one hand, very close between my legs making me flush pink and look away. He hopped once and then I could feel his chest pressed against my back. He reached around me, his arms over mine; he gave me back the stirrup and lowered my hands, rearranging my fingers on the leather. "If you hold them like this you won't be pulling too hard when you ride with a real bridle." He explained. He leant behind me and reached down, pushing my knee down and my lower leg straight. "No just relax alright? I won't let you fall." I nodded but couldn't quite relax and this time it wasn't because of the moving animal I was on.

"You aren't relaxed" Vasadal said, her tone oddly knowing.

"Come on Eb; just think of it as a swing." He said, calmly, despite his warm breath brushing against the side of my neck deliciously. I shivered and I know both him and Vasadal felt it despite my efforts, Peter leaned back slightly and I went with him on instinct. "Better" Peter murmured. Vasadal started to walk again but I fought the urge to seize up.

Soon I'd forgotten about my affinity for feeling the ground and was leaning back on Peter's chest, holding the reins loosely and swaying my hips with each step Vasadal took. We'd even trotted for a bit to make up some time. "I think I'd better get off now, you seem perfectly capable and Vasadal didn't sign up for two riders." Peter said from behind me.

"I'll be fine" Vasadal said boldly but she stopped all the same. Peter grinned and got off; I was surprised how much I'd still been depending on him when I thought I was doing well.

It is definitely the most surreal moment of my life as I watch my fiancé, slinking alongside my unicorn steed as we weave through trees and skirt along the edge of fields. I can feel it growing colder after about half a day riding. "We are almost in the season less section of Narnia, your majesty."

"Season-less?" Peter asked, I could hear the exasperation in his tone. He took a quick lope and was suddenly in front of Vasadal and I, walking beside Orion. Since leaving camp this was the first time Peter had trusted I wouldn't side off again.

"Of course, the centre of Narnia, when we reach that we will be half way." Peter's tail flicked irritably though he said nothing.

"How can a place survive without seasons? They are part of the weather, if there is no rain there is no plants and if there is no plants there's nothing there apparently, because all I've seen of Narnia so far is alive."

"Oh there's nothing there." Vasadal answered casually.

"Then what is it?" I ask, shaking my head. Peter has dropped back to my side, on my left now, his head barely level with Vasadal's.

"It's… nothing." Orion shrugged.

"Like a vortex?" Peter asked.

"What in Aslan's name is that?" Peter sighed and shook his head.

"Nevermind." He mumbled. It was quiet for a long while after that. "It's getting dark." Peter commented idly. "We ought to stop for the night, but I see no cover."

"We might have to make do with a single tree and gather around its base. The Summer tree dryads don't tend to clump together like the spring ones."

"Dryads?" Peter asked, his expression obviously put out. Orion nodded.

"One for every tree."

"I'm staying a lion then." Peter grumbled as I slid ungracefully from the saddle.

"Shall I take this off you for the night, Vasadal?" She nodded

"And the bridle too please."

We'd been lying down for no more than half an hour when Peter sprang up onto all fours. I sat up slowly, worried but too tired and lethargic to be energetic about it. I had been so content a moment ago, bundled up under a tree, wrapped in blankets and using Peter's huge paws as pillows. He was just so fluffy as a lion, I'd always wanted a pet growing up, to cuddle and love but Dad always said he didn't have time for pets and we were never home long enough to justify keeping one there. Peters neighbours had cats but they weren't the cwtchy kind. "Can you hear that?" Peter asked

"What?" I asked but when I listened all I could hear was the rustle of leaves.

"Snarling?" Vasadal asked, flicking her ears back and fore anxiously.

AN: Sorry for the wait if anyone's still interested, I've been so busy lately and the time I have had I've been asleep. Feeling a bit like a hermit actually but it's here now! And I even have some more already written so the next won't be long.


	11. Momentum in Trees

~11~

"Yes that." Peter replied anxiously. He nudged me back with his side, so my back was to a tree. "And scratching," He said lowly, "and running. Shit, Bugger. Fuck." I would normally have found Peter using a string of swear words hilarious but right now I could feel fear fuelled adrenaline pumping through me making me want to run. I could hear it now, snarling but I couldn't tell where from other than in front of me somewhere.

"Peter." I whispered, threading my fingers in his mane and all but pulling it from its roots.

"Get the sword from Vasadal and stay by this tree. If something comes near you swing at it and call me. No better yet, get up this tree." He suddenly turned and put two paws on the tree near the lowest branch, I didn't argue this time, just scrambled clumsily to his shoulders and into the branch. "Keep your feet up and don't make a sound unless you need us." He hissed before dropping down.

"You should stay up there too your majesty." Orion said solemnly as he raised his huge sword. Vasadal was prancing and tossing her head, snorting and pawing the ground. Orion jogged uneasily, his sword swung over his shoulder holding on with both hands. Peter slunk low beside them, his ears back and I could see his huge paws clawing the ground slowly, churning the dirt and making the muscle of his legs ripple under his coat. His tail swished angrily every now and again.

"No." he said shortly, ending the subject abruptly.

"Their close, they know we're here." Vasadal said, swishing her tail and stabbing the ground with the edge of her hooves. I still clung to the sword and pressed the cold metal on the pommel to my lips hard enough to hurt. I could hear them running now, like the sound of rain on the roof of my small cosy home in London. There was another loud snarl and three wolves, huge, almost as big as Peter, with scraggly grey coats and bloodied fur around their mouths, leapt through the bushes. They paused to decide who to attack when Peter pounced forward, onto the one nearest him and before it could even howl he bit its neck, pushing it away with one huge paw. Red blood gushed everywhere, all over Peter's chest, mane, face and down his legs. I had to cover my mouth to stop screaming, as I gagged and closed my eyes. I heard a yelp and a thud and a squeal and Vasadal neighing angrily before pitiful whimpering and then the swing of a sword.

"Their only scouts, there's more coming." Vasadal said grimly.

"Are you alright Ebony?" Peter asked but his voice was shaky which made me open my eyes in panic.

"I'm fine are you?" I asked, looking him over quickly. There was blood all over him but nothing to suggest that it could be his.

"I'm okay, just shocked myself I think."

"Well Sire, for what it's worth, that was a perfect kill. Very impressive."

"A natural killer… I'm so proud." He said darkly

"If we're to live here it may well be our saving grace, don't knock it so-" I said, despairing at the logic of my own argument.

"Their coming again." Vasadal cut me off and I went silent again, drawing my knees in close to my chin. Peter turned back to the sound and I closed my eyes. I could literally feel my heart beating against my knees but I stayed silent, clung to the sword and listened as my fiancé/husband ripped wolves' throats out with his teeth. I counted 5 painful howls and three thuds but I wasn't sure. The only noises from my companions were the occasional growl from Peter, a grunt of effort from Orion or the constant snorting of Vasadal. Then there was the clawing and snarling at the foot of my tree. I was shaking when I understood what it was. I looked down fearfully and three wolves where trying to claw their way up the tree, if I'd let my short legs down they'd have my foot off by now. One of them snarled and disappeared around the trunk and a second later I heard a growl of victory as it clawed its way up on a lower branch and then across to another.

"Peter!" I was screaming and almost hysterical with fear as the other two began to climb. I heard him roar in anger and then the yelp of the third wolf as he knocked it from the tree but the first was almost upon me.

"That's a pretty sword, but can you pick it up?" the wolf sneered in a gravelly, menacing voice. I instantly remembered Peter's sword and, still kneeling on the branch, raised it shakily. He was right, it was heavy and I was shaking already, if I tried to swing it, I'd be more likely to knock myself off the branch than stop the wolf. It laughed darkly at me and lowered itself ready to pounce. I called Peter again but he couldn't get up this high.

"Jump!" he yelled back, frantically pacing below me. "I'll-" he was cut off when the thing pounced. Screaming in fear I swung the sword upwards and the weight of it knocked me off the side of the branch. I hit the ground hard on my back and the sword landed a foot away, half embedded in the ground. The wolf fell limp and dead to the floor at the foot of the tree. Everything seemed to go silent as I stared at it. Peter was behind me then and I threw my arms around his neck, crying hysterically into his own blood matted fur. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back, too surprised to keep crying, while I was almost crushed by lion-Peter in what I assumed was a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-" he kept ranting into my neck.

"I can't breathe!" I gasped finally and he all but pounced back off me, still reciting his mantra.

"Peter!" I shouted stopping him dead. He swallowed hard and looked down, breathing in deeply.

"We need to move on Sire." Orion said from behind me. Peter looked up at him and then to me. I nodded and he nodded back. I shakily picked up the sword again and wiped it clumsily in the grass before sliding it back into the leather scabbard. "You hit it right across the head. It wouldn't even have felt anything." Orion said solemnly.

"Oh excellent, two natural born killers," I said dryly, "just imagine how deadly our children will be Peter." My sarcastic side only ever came out when I was angry and I was now. All I wanted was to be home in London, to carry on with my life and be normal. It was like a longing for my old life I'd never felt before. I may not have had many friends or the most exciting social life but I'd had Peter and relative safety. I didn't have to fight for my life and Peter didn't have to put his neck on the line to protect me, as much as he'd have liked to.

"There's a stream not far from here. We need to wash off a bit." Vasadal said, jerking her head at my front. I looked down and realised my front, from cheek to skirts was covered in sticky red blood from Peter's fur.

I shook the entire way to the stream, so much so that we decided I shouldn't ride Vasadal until it stopped. Instead I walked slowly beside my blood soaked fiancée with my fingers fisted in his matted mane. Vasadal flanked my other side, her ears twitching nervously which didn't help my nerves and Orion walked beside Peter. They seemed to have formed an unspoken bond of mutual understanding; I wasn't sure when it happened or if I like it but I was glad they'd both survived. I sank down to my knees by the bank and scooped water onto my face, rubbing away the red tinted water, washing my arms and hands.

When Peter emerges from behind the tree he's a human again, clad in only breeches and boots, he kneels beside me to wash the drying blood from his bare torso, arms and face. I sit back on my heels and watch him for a while. Neither of us says anything, and for once I'm glad he's quiet. I watch him pull the cotton shirt over his head and hand him the scabbard he'd given me the sword in. He stood up and attached it to the black leather belt I hadn't noticed him carrying before doing it up loosely on my waist and rolling up the shirt sleeves. I went over to Vasadal and helped her wash the blood from her white coat by cupping water in my hands and rubbing the red splatters away. I didn't look up as Peter began talking quietly to Orion; his voice was barely above a rumble which I knew was a sign of scheming.

"Beginning to wish you hadn't volunteered yourself?" I ask Vasadal. I expected a very PC response, saying it was an honour to guard and carry us royals but I was surprised by her honest response.

"Beginning? I regretted it the moment I heard the growling." I paused my efforts to wash her and look at the side of her face I can see.

"I'm sorry. I suppose the only reason you had to come at all was to carry me. And I haven't exactly been a help." She turns her graceful neck to look me in the eyes and I note for the first time that they aren't brown but a dark purple with a hint of brown.

"You killed one of the twenty wolves. For a maiden whose only desire is to marry and have her childhood sweet hearts children I'd say you did rather well." My heart is in my throat as I stare at her.

"How do you know all that?" She smiles ruefully and glances at Peter before looking back at me.

"I am a unicorn. You are a maiden. I am tuned into your soul whether you know or like it or not. I feel your emotions and I know your thoughts, even the ones you aren't aware of yourself. You wish this marriage was real, sometimes you pretend that you're pregnant with his child and the King is taking you somewhere safe to raise it. Sometimes you pretend Lucy is yours and Peter's child and you hope your children will be just like her. The reason you don't get along with Susan is that you imagine her to be like minded to your mother and don't want to face the reality that it's true. But through all that you are more aware of Peter than you let on."

I stare at her for a while but she looks up quickly as though called and I follow her gaze to Peter.

"Eb? Are you alright?" I nod. "Did you hear me?"

"When?"

"Just now, I asked if you've tried that necklace yet." I shook my head and stood up, pulling the long chain from between my breasts. I opened the little gold clasp and it popped open. But the dial didn't have North, South, East or West, degrees from 0 to 360 but it was pointing resolutely to 287.

"I- It's not a compass." I said, feeling deep furrows in my brow as I brushed away my fringe. The needle flickered and I could feel Peter's breath on my face and his hair tickled my forehead as he lent over it. The needle began a slow continual counter clockwise spin around the dial as we watched.

"Odd." Peter murmured.

"I think it's broken" I sighed handing it to him. The moment Peter touched it the needle started to spin clockwise so fast it became a blur. His brow furrowed and he shook his head watching the bizarre object.

"It's not broken" he murmured. He lifted the pendant fully from my hand and it once again began its steady counter clockwise movement. "Curiouser and curiouser."

"Really Alice?" I smirk, despite the situation and he grins back. I realise suddenly that we hadn't had any of our usual easy banter since this whole absurd situation began. He's watching me carefully and I wonder if he's thinking the same thing. Orion clears his throat over Peter's shoulder and Vasadal snorts and paws the ground in agreement.

"Anyway," Peter says, dropping the pendant and straightening up, "Orion and I think we'd be best to leave the centre and head towards winter where the witches' army thrives most. But we'll have to walk the border to find where we are anyway."

"Alright." I nod, it was like thinking you had another day of weekend only to realise its Sunday. Being brought back to this reality was far worse than it would be if we were in camp and I was surprised to realise I missed our homely little tent.


	12. Valiant and Covered in Dirt

AN: This chapter is written for Cerys Jones who can sympathise with Ebony's riding and Vince Grove who designed the hybrid spider.

~12~

"Half a league, half a league, half a league onward…" Peter trailed off, looking around as Vasadal slowed to a lazy canter. I felt like we'd been running forever. I had lost myself for a while watching Peter's still wet fur on his back and I'd almost slipped off Vasadal's side.

"That poem is very little comfort right now, love." I tell him quietly, he nods but I can see from his eyes he's still reciting it silently in his head.

"I can hear something. Talking?" He said suddenly, slinking low into the short, greyish green grass and moving fluidly across the forest floor. Vasadal shifts instantly from her heavy footed gait she'd been using to help me feel more comfortable to a smooth float with her hooves barely touching the ground. I don't like it, it reminds me of trains and the underground in London and I don't trust them either. It makes me uneasy that I can't feel the bumps in the road like I can in a car.

"There's worse than wolves here, your majesty." Orion whispered to Peter who nodded. I weave my fingers into Vasadal's mane and clung on tightly, letting my hands go rigid but not my body; that's how I always fall off.

"We might be better to run than stay around here." Vasadal said, jogging nervously on the spot.

"No, they may have Ed here. Stop moving or they'll hear you." His voice is short and clipped and I can practically feel the tension rolling off him.

"Aye, tell ya what though, tha' wolf she loves is gonna kill 'er one day." It was two male voices, one a Minotaur and the other a dwarf. My throat was tight and I had stopped breathing and my entire body was rigid with fear. The Minotaur was huge, at least the height and a half of Peter, his fur was black and his horns were sharp and dirty looking. The dwarf had a thick brown beard and was clad in scruffy leather armour. The Minotaur carried a scythe in one hand and a small axe in his belt, the dwarf had two axes crossed on his back and a dagger in his belt.

"The captain of the police? Doubt it; she made him rich as 'e likes."

"Ah but 'e be a wolf, an' we all know 'ow they like their freedom, eh?"

"Aye" I noticed the dwarf touch a scar on his grubby face as he agreed and thought it looked fresh. They'd moved off far enough now to breathe again so I looked to Peter, slunk low on his front, ready to pounce.

"We need to get a good look. Stay here and I'll see if I can spot anything."

"You can't go alone." I said quickly, trying to keep to a whisper.

"Vasadal and you are a bit noticeable Eb and Orion will be heard." Peter reasoned. I looked at Orion who looked grim himself. His hand gripping his broad sword and the other clenched at his side.

"I'll get off and come with you then." I swung my leg and slid down as quietly as I could before he could speak. Then I went in the saddle bags and took out the daggers we'd found in the bags, tucking them up my sleeves and gripping them in my palms. Peter looked at me with his lips pressed together hard for a long moment.

"Fine, pass me some clothes." He said grimly, still looking at me darkly. I handed him some dark clothes, in hope of blending in a bit. Peter ducked behind a tree and I saw as he shook out the clothes and pulled on the trousers. When he came out pulling the navy shirt over his head I wordlessly fastened the sword around his hips and waited for him to put his boots on.

"You're very pale your majesty, might it be a good idea to rub dirt on your face and hands?" Vasadal asked me diplomatically. For a moment I felt disgusted and stared at the dirty floor before peter stepped in.

"Excellent idea" he said brightly, scooping earth on his fingers and rubbing it on his cheeks and forehead. Then he looked up at me with a smug and expectant expression. I glared back at him and then did the same and looked at his defiantly, covered in mud. I felt so utterly dirty and disgusted with myself but Peter's face broke into a huge grin as he tried to stop himself laughing. "Who'd have thought? My Ebony covered in mud on purpose." He shook his head still smiling.

"Oh just come on." I snapped, picking up my daggers again.

"We'll call if we need you." Peter added before he led the way through the trees beside the tracks on the dwarf and Minotaur. The camp was dark and sinister in comparison to ours. The tents were grey canvas and there were loads of small campfires with different groups unlike our big communal one. Peter kept our course close to tents with lights on inside or with the occupants in by the camp fires. There were some horrific creatures in this camp, some I'd never even seen in fairy tales. There was a snakes head on a huge spiders body and it was scuttling around hissing at anyone that was in its way. There were lots of black birds but rather than beaks they had snouts with huge fangs that hung over their jaws. I could feel my heart in my throat, pounding so hard I was sure someone would hear it if it weren't for the loud guffaws they made. Finally Peter stopped and pointed to a cage made of sticks. It wasn't big, perhaps a meter cubed, but it was just one in a stack of eight, making a pyramid shape. Two were empty but the one on the bottom left held Edmund. He looked in a bad way and I could see blood on his hands that he was covering his face with. We had several close calls on our way towards the cages and had to edge around trees and tents to avoid being in sight.

In the other cages were two dwarfs, a jaguar, a fox and a woman. All were thin, dirty and bloodied. I was so lost in studying their condition I hadn't given thought to how to get them out. "We could use your daggers and saw through the backs, creep around the back of this camp and get back to Vasadal and Orion, then there's only the matter of getting away." Peter whispered to me. I nodded grimly.

"A person can carry the fox but the jaguar will have to run." I say and Peter nods as I pass him a dagger. "Let me go to them first, I look less… threatening."

"I'm not- fine we don't have time to bicker." Sometimes I wondered if Peter knew the presence he commanded or the size of himself for that matter. I tip toed forward, aiming for the back of Ed's cage.

"Edmund." I whispered when I was near. He jerked forward but the cage itself didn't budge and no one seemed to notice. He stared at me, his face was covered in dirt and cuts, he looked pale and tired and his eyes were red and sore. "Peter's here too, don't say anything, try and cover me so they can't see." He nodded and shifted his back to me again as I began to saw. Peter was already working on a dwarfs cage beside me and he kept glancing at Ed and then around camp nervously. The woman was whispering her thanks repeatedly as she watched us work, she was shaking all over and her face was so thin it looked painful. Her bony fingers linked through the cage and she was crying though it sounded very dry and raspy.

It took longer than I'd supposed to cut the vine twigs of the cages but when all were opened like doors Peter shuffled back to make another check and nodded. The cage occupants carefully and stiffly climbed out of their prisons and snuck towards Peter who led the way back to the nearest edge of camp using our earlier successful method. The woman seemed to be better physically than mentally, she carried herself well considering how thin she was, but she couldn't stop shaking or muttering and I worried someone would hear her. The jaguar moved stiffly and heavily but it struggled through without a sound, the dwarfs seemed more bruised than anything, they too were thinning but they weren't as bad off. The fox was limping heavily but again hadn't appeared to have been in their clutches long.

"The cages are open!" an ogre yelled and in a second the whole camp was roaring in rage and looking around. We were spotted by a camp of dwarfs who rushed at us with axes.

"Run!" Peter yelled at me but my body was so overridden with adrenalin I couldn't think, it was pounding through my head. Peter gave me a shove towards the others who were struggling to run away except for the woman who stood straight staring at Peter and swaying dangerously on the spot. I tried to usher her to run but instead she took the daggers from my hands and grinned manically as she stood beside Peter. "Go or they'll catch you again." Peter told her as he raised his sword.

"I can fight." She said firmly. Peter looked to me and yelled for me to run again so I went. I called for Edmund to help the fox and I jogged beside the panther in case it stumbled. I called for Orion and Vasadal and within a few seconds they came hurtling through the trees. Orion ran straight to Peter but I didn't look back. I didn't want to see what I could hear. I could hear Peter's sword swinging and the mad woman cackling with delight but I could also hear the roars of anger of the horde of grotesque creatures. Vasadal danced in front of us nervously.

"Kneel down; I need you to carry this panther." I told her quickly, she did so reluctantly and I draped the big cat over her back. "One of you get on." I told the dwarfs. The younger helped the older onto Vasadal behind the panther. "Alright go. Get them to safety then come back. Ed keep going that way." Vasadal took off at a canter and I shoved Ed behind her. I looked around for a weapon but a moment later Peter grabbed my hand and spun me around. He ran past me and started rushing the others on. A moment later Orion galloped past with the woman passed out on his back, Peter handed me his sword, gave Ed a boost up onto Orion and then suddenly changed into lion form. His clothes ripped loudly and the buckle of his sword scabbard pinged apart.

"Get on both of you." He ordered shortly to me and the dwarf. I clambered on first, he really was bigger than he looked when I was on Vasadal, and then I helped the dwarf up and not a second later he surged forward and I could see Orion galloping just ahead of us. I had to lean forward on Peter's back and hold his mane tightly but his gait was longer than Vasadal's and his motions were more of a slink than a run. A few axes and arrows were flung at our back but they all fell short a fair way and the animals that chased us didn't keep up for long. We were side by side to Orion now and Edmund was looking at me in shock.

"Where's Peter?!" he shouted in panic.

"This is me Ed. Tell you later." He was breathless and his voice was still frenzied but I could feel that we were safe now, we'd got away. The woman's eyes opened and she looked at me with glazed eyes for a moment before smiling madly and letting her silver eyes roll back.


	13. For the Lack of Underwear

~13~

Once we finally found Vasadal on her way back following her own tracks she led us to where she'd taken the Panther and dwarf. It was a small patch, not even a clearing, but it was close to a stream and at the foot of a cliff to shelter us from both sight and wind. At once we all got off and I tried my best to see to the woman who'd been cut across her side but I was no medical expert and all I could do was clean it with stream water and wrap cloth from my skirt around her to stop the bleeding. But for all my efforts she didn't wake up again that night.

For a long while there was a tense silence where none of us knew for sure if we were safe and we were all anxious to see if the woman was going to pull back to consciousness again. Everyone went about trying to help, the young dwarf and Orion went to get wood and built a fire. Peter changed back to a human and he and Ed wordlessly went about making a sort of canopy with the fir tree branches. Vasadal stayed vigilantly beside my patient, letting the woman know she was there and I was grateful for the comfort.

It wasn't until later when we'd all run out of distractions that we sat and the weight of the recent events began to weigh on us. We made sure the prisoners had the food we had left and we all congregated around the fire, after Peter helped me move the woman close enough to keep her warm. It was then I noticed his leg, on his thigh there was a dark red seeping through the material of his breeches. I put out my hand and touched it and realised it was blood. "Peter." I hissed, trying not to draw attention but in a silent group it didn't work.

"It's fine, better than most here I'd say." He brushed it off easily but I was still doubtful. I prodded it hard with my finger. "Ahhhhh- fuck, Eb." He gritted his teeth and knocked my hand away but even he knew he wasn't going to sweet talk me out of this.

"You're lucky Su's not here." Ed said in a tired voice.

"Take off your trousers so I can see." I said angrily.

"Whoa, steady on love birds." Edmund remarked with dry sarcasm but I ignored him and stared Peter down.

"Fine, fine. But they don't make underwear in Narnia." Peter said stalking off out of sight of the others.

"I don't bloody care." I hissed back, following him. I could feel my face was bright red but I knew he wouldn't see it in the dark so I tried to act normal as I waited for him to undo the ties on his trousers. He pushed them down to his knees, hissing when he peeled the material from the wound and I tried my best to focus on the deep cut on the side of his leg but _it_ was just there and in my infinite wisdom of these things I eventually started giggling.

"Are you serious?" He asked incredulously which only made me laugh harder.

"I'm sorry, this just really isn't the way I ever imagined this happening." I tried to explain and decided the best thing to do was look at his face, for a minute he just stared at me but then he began to grin too. I was briefly

"I suppose not, you do still have dirt on your face by the way." He chuckled and reached down to brush the dried dirt off my nose and cheeks with his thumb. All I could do was hum in agreement; I brushed my thumb lightly over his cut and sighed.

"You scared me earlier. When you told me to run I knew I had to but I don't like leaving you. Not in this place where people die so easily."

"It's no different to the bombings at home." He reasoned softly, still with his trousers around his knees. "At least here you have a shot at self-defence."

"True, but still, I feel closer to it here." We were quiet for a while and he brushed his fingers through my matted hair a few times. Without thinking I pressed a kiss to the wound and got up off my knees. "I'll get some water to wash that, and then I'll dress it." I walked off trying not to think of the odd expression on his face when I'd got up. I'd been doing so well the last two days not to over analyse him like I usually did and I felt less anxious for it.

I went to the stream across our little camp and tried not to look at the others who are all watching me silently with either stupid grins or embarrassed expressions. I returned with the damp cloth scrap and cleaned the drying blood away, again doing my best not to focus on his manhood. Once the wound was cleaned and wrapped we walked back to the others who were all whispering hurriedly to each other. Peter coughed loudly so they all fell silently and I followed him to sit beside the dwarves with Ed on Peter's side. For a painful moment no one said a word of the awkwardness but then Ed finally spoke up, and for once not to mock me.

"Thank you… you know, for coming. I'm sorry I left."

"Left? We thought you were taken." Peter said quickly, whipping his head to Edmund faster than I could process what he'd said.

"Well, no, I wasn't. A woman in white, with a white sled and white furs came into my tent. And she thought I was you, Pete. She asked me to leave Aslan and join her. I didn't tell her I wasn't you; I wanted to be the centre of attention for once."

"You-" Peter began, anger filling his narrowed eyes, but Ed cut him off quickly.

"I know, it was childish and stupid and I've been berating myself ever since but you don't know what it's like to be the weedy younger brother of the golden boy… now a sodding God and all." He looked resolutely at the flames with the most defeated expression I've ever seen on his normally hard face. I noticed the silence of our new companions and the awed looks on their faces at the mention of Peter's heritage, but I didn't say anything and I just hoped Peter would see this as a brother and not a politician.

"Who told you about that?" He asked in as gentle a voice he could manage.

"The witch, I assume. She found out I wasn't you, said she could feel my gravity or something and then she went off raging to throw me in a cell and use me as bait. I'm sorry Peter, I'm so sorry, I was stupid and childish but I've paid for it ten times over now." I shifted my gaze to Peter's face and saw his lips pressed together hard and the furrow on worry on his brow. I reached over and took the hand he'd draped loosely on his knee. He nodded silently to Ed who seemed to deflate as he relaxed and I suddenly realised how very tired he must be.

"It's okay Ed, get some sleep, we all should." I said gently, nodding to the others. They nodded back and quietly started to lie down. I checked the woman once more and Vasadal promised to stay beside her all night. I wondered briefly if she was as much a maiden as I and that was the source of the unicorn's loyalty but I didn't dwell on it long; instead I went to Peter who was lying on his back with his eyes wide open. I lay down against him and lent over to kiss him once, I knew him well enough to understand that he needed to think right now, and asking him to sleep would be no good.

I must have fallen asleep quickly because the next I knew was Peter's voice trying to coax me from my comfortable sleep and then the dreaded feeling of waking up once again in this harsh new world. It was still fairly dark though I could see sun light through the thick canopy of trees behind Peter's head.

"Morning, darling." He said softly, gently lifting my back up with one large hand on my back. I mumble something in the way of reply and he smiles briefly in amusement before giving my lips a chaste kiss and straightening again. "Come on, we have to keep going, their probably tracking us already." I felt my heart sink with the memory of constant danger we were in and everything seemed suddenly heavier, my limbs, clothes even thoughts. "It's okay, we won't be staying once we get back to camp; he has to send us back." Peter said firmly, evidently reading my expression.

"You're his son Peter, his only son; he may not want to send you back."

"I think he rather gave up the right to decide don't you?" I had never heard the hard edge to his voice he used now, at least not for a long time and it must have shown on my face. He sighed and turned to me fully, taking both my hands and rubbing his thumbs over my knuckles soothingly. "Sorry, it's just, well he pulled not only me but my dearest family from our own world which we knew and understood into this one with so many dangers and unpredictability for his own ends. If he gave me up he truly should have left it that way. We were happy in England, why did he have to ruin that? What right did he have?"

"That may be, but I feel selfish to leave now, when we've seen what horrors are here first hand and knowing that we could help. Think of Orion or Vasadal, they've helped us selflessly, don't we owe them the same?" He didn't answer but I knew he'd taken in what I'd said from his thoughtful and guilty expression.

When we were all packed up and on our way, I walked beside Vasadal who was carrying the panther and a dwarf on her back, the woman was slumped tiredly on Orion, leaving, Peter, Ed, the younger dwarf, the fox and I to walk. The eldest dwarf was called Arexis and his son-in-law was called Wederba, who were both extremely gruff in their demeanour to the point where Peter had to order Arexis to ride Vasadal; the panther's name was Vinton and he was old and nervous in disposition. The fox, after a decent rest, was charming and charismatic, he seemed to have taken a particular shine to Peter and his laddish humour cheered Peter up no end as he sloped along in lion form. Personally I thought some of the jokes rather vulgar but the smile Peter wore made me hold my tongue. Ed laughed along awkwardly though I wondered if he understood many of the jokes or if he was simply feeling awkward still.

After one particularly crude joke, about some foreign Princess Azalea or something, the woman snapped angrily. "How dare you?! What right have you to make such assumptions or a high born lady? And you, your majesty, I expected better from the son of Aslan." She suddenly seemed filled with energy and rage and I couldn't help but wonder at how pretty she was when she wasn't half mad nor half asleep.

"Who am I? Who am I? I believe you are the only suspicious one among us who has yet to reveal their name!" The fox snapped back as our party came to a sudden stop.

"I- since you asked so nicely, am Princess Azuela."

AN/ Sorry that took so long, all my yard hands have gone to uni or cant work in the week anymore so now I have a ton of work to do.


	14. Misplaced Trust and Suspicions

A.N. Sorry about the wait again. I just don't have the time. Anyway, if anyone is still reading I haven't forgotten this story it's still going, I've planned the whole thing now roughly so it shouldn't be long between chapters… in theory.

~14~

"You expect us to believe that?" Orion snorted in derision and the dwarves chuckled in agreement.

"Who are you to question me? I am a princess and surely even you can see-"

"Now hang on," Peter said, looking at the woman speculatively. "This Princess, what is she even Princess of?"

"A small island called Tycoch, near the Lone Islands. We're famous for our food and wine, though we have no magic like you do here in Narnia and the people are mere humans, our culture is to travel, we live in caravans and move in tribes." She replied proudly.

"Then why is it not a human from Tycoch on the throne of Narnia? If it must be a human?" Peter asks suspiciously.

"We- We're not entirely worthy of the position." She says awkwardly, looking away from Peter's gaze. Peter and I exchange a look before the eldest dwarf explained with a spiteful tone.

"She means they're all bloody thieves and pirates, it's their way of life." He says mockingly in his last words.

"Why you ugly little rat!" the woman exclaims lunging toward the dwarf but Vasadal leaps between them, lowing her horn threateningly to the woman, who backs off with her hands in the air. Peter pauses, looking from dwarf to 'Princess'.

"Why would a nation of travellers have a monarchy at all?" I ask curiously.

"It's just always been so. We stay in one place so our people can find us when we're needed." The woman seemed proud of this but Peter still seemed sceptical.

"Well, I suppose if no one among us can recognise you we can either take your word for it or continue the way we were until we reach Aslan. It's probably safer to not wander around a dangerous forest being called Princess though." He arched an eyebrow at her and she raised her chin proudly.

"I don't fear this hoard of barbarians."

"They locked you in a cage; do you really want to mock their ability?" She blushed and looked away from his sharp gaze. "Would Aslan recognise you on sight?"

"Your Father knows us all doesn't he?" Peter grimaced at the term but he nodded anyway.

"Then it's settled, until then we will call you…"

"Bienne is my middle name."

"Bienne it is. Now let's keep moving before we're found."

"Well handled my lord." The fox complimented, falling into step beside Peter. The trek home was long and awkward afterwards. We barely speak other than when necessary or to decide things like setting up camp or direction. Even Peter and the fox, Niro, have fallen silent, though they and Orion seem to walk together like a men's club. I stay with Vasadal mostly on our journey, though I always seem to find myself back in Peter's attentive arms by the time we've set up camp. It took us two and a half long days before we could see camp because of our slower pace and we had to skirt around the centre of Narnia when Peter and Vasadal could hear something.

I noticed people gathering at the edges of camp, whispering about Edmund and our much larger party than expected. I could see Xena and her family emerge through the crowd and she was beaming as she clung tightly to the hand of another fairy about her age with pale hair and skin. The first to make a move any closer was Lucy; she seemed to burst out from between centaurs' legs and ran towards us as fast as she could. Her hair fell from its ties as she ran and she stumbled over her heavy skirts multiple times before she was even halfway there. "Peter!" He was grinning broadly, even in lion form, as Lucy just about flung herself the last meters distance against his chest, almost disappearing into his thick mane. I laughed quietly until she pulled away and wrapped both arms around my waist.

"Hello Lu, you weren't worried were you?" I asked, brushing her hair off her face.

"I'm never worried. Not anymore anyway, Aslan says I'm a Princess now, so I have to set an example for our country. Do you want to meet my new friends first or shall I meet yours?" She was talking so fast I could barely comprehend what she said but Peter did.

"Sorry Lu, this is Nero…"

Peter walked toward Aslan's tent and in a moment before he'd reached it the bigger lion emerged from its door. "You did better than even I could expect, son." He smiled at Peter who didn't reply, just nodded and looked to Bienne.

"This woman says she is a Princess of an island called Tycoch. We had no way of telling so we brought her to you." He says tiredly. I can feel my own tiredness setting in and I want little more than to be in England in front of a fire with a cup of tea.

"I can indeed vouch for her Peter, this is Princess Azuela. And a welcome ally in our war against the witch." She bowed to Aslan dutifully, smiling a little smugly at the fox who only narrowed his eyes in return.

"Well then, I suppose we'd better find a tent for you near our own." Susan smiled brightly, stepping forward.

"Oh I will not be staying long, I must go home and gather my troops for the fight, and that will take some time. But thank you so much for your hospitality." She smiled at Susan and followed her away.

It felt like an age before we were allowed to escape to the safety and quiet of our tent again. Even though the sound of the hustling outside penetrated into our tent it felt still in here. From the moment we'd left Aslan everything had blurred into explaining and introducing over and over again. I still felt little trust of Azuela, despite Aslan agreeing with her identity. Lucy seemed particularly distant of her though Susan seemed to have taken a liking to her, offering her a choice of her own dresses until some could be made. Preparations for a night of celebration were well on the way and we'd been sent off to wash and change.

We didn't say much as we changed, though the incident in the woods seemed to have effectively dispelled any point in hiding our bodies from each other, though we still turned away rather than watching each other. "How long do you suppose it will be before the witch retaliates?" Peter asked finally, I heard him sit on our bed and I glanced around as I tied the ribbon at the front of my dress. I shook my head at him and went to his side where he pulled me closer under his arm.

"I've no idea, as long as it will take the message to reach her that Ed escaped I suppose."

"I've been thinking about that too, but if the witch is as terrible as they say, surely that group we attacked would be more likely to try and retrieve their captives themselves rather than admit they disappointed her." I nodded slowly, I could see that.

"Then you think they've followed us here?"

"Have or will, either way, perhaps celebrating tonight isn't the best plan."

"They need this small victory, Peter, have you seen how tired and worn these creatures are?" He nodded too, and then leaned down to kiss my cheek.

"Perhaps I'll just not drink too much then, be on guard." I nodded too and he stood to attach his scabbard while I used one of the expensive looking hair pins to pull my hair loosely from my face. I decided as we left our tent again that I'd stay sober too, and warn Susan just in case.

I was giggling stupidly with one of the elfish girls, Yerma, who had brought me another glass of mead and ended up staying with me to finish the bottle. I hadn't intended to get drunk tonight but this wine was so sweet and warming, it trickled down my throat thickly and I could feel it warming my body from the inside out, simply delicious. I looked up over the flames and I felt my smile freeze as I saw the bon fire reflected in the thousands of diamond shards in blue eyes. My breath caught in my throat and I groaned aloud. He didn't look away or react in anyway, he simply stared at me. I couldn't see anything but his eyes, not even his face. After what felt like hours later I was having trouble focusing on anything. I felt myself stumble and sway but I made my way over to Peter. His eyes hadn't left mine from that moment they met through the bon fire and neither of us broke the eye contact.

The first I knew of reaching him was his large masculine hands on my waist pulling me down onto his lap. My legs hung between his open ones and I balanced on one of his thighs, leaning down against his chest. Our eye contact finally broke when he pressed his lips hard against mine, his tongue stroked my lips and I opened my mouth willingly.

"You know…" Peter murmured against my throat after our kiss. "In moments like this, you could command me to bring you the world on a silver platter and I'd happily die to give it to you."

"Don't say that" I murmur, I can hear the drunken slur to my voice as the haze of attraction makes my voice deeper and lustier. I prefer it this way, like a Hollywood star seducing her beau in a film, but in the back of my mind I am all too aware that I am no Hollywood actress. I am a short, pale, ginger and now a bit grubby Londoner. He chuckled throatily against my skin again and continued his quest down to the very top of my dress where the corset pushed my breast up in a way that I could tell he found very interesting. He peppered kisses right across my chest just above the lace border and his large hand shifted my hips subconsciously closer to his. I could feel my eyes rolling back skyward of their own accord and I felt unable to control my face enough to close my mouth so instead I just hoped he wasn't about to look up at my face before I could compose myself. I was literally straddling his lap now, my hands on his shoulders and my head lolled back heavily. I knew that Susan would be watching us angrily; probably tutting and I knew that I probably looked like a scarlet woman but the wine had stolen my inhibitions and apparently Peter's too, which made me happier than anyone ought to be.

Peter made a trail up my chest right to my ear where he whispered huskily against it, "Coming to bed?" For a moment everything seemed to still. I could practically feel the blood rush from my face. He wanted me tonight, and in this state there'd be no moral compass in the way. I feel his rough palm rub up the back of my legs and his long fingers curl behind my knees. My body floods with heat all over and I am suddenly free of the lethargic carelessness of being drunk and in its place all I feel is Peter.

"Yes." I answer certainly, and am surprised that my sultry slur is still in place. His grin is one I've never seen on him before. It's practically predatorial and the white gleam by the camp fire exaggerate the sharp angles of his teeth. He stands suddenly but rather than falling to the floor his large hands grip the backs of my thighs and I tighten my arms around his neck and hide my face in the side of his neck. I can feel the strides he takes to our tent but I don't look up until I feel the heavy door material on my back. He doesn't set me down on the floor as I expected, instead he lays me flat on my back on our bed and I let my arms fall limply to the pillows beside my head. I stare up at him for a while and he just looks back, leaning over me so my breasts brush his chest as we breathe deeply.

We don't make it out to breakfast that morning, but when I leave the tent shortly after Peter and just in time to help prepare lunch Susan is already kneading bread dough and glaring at me as I approach. I decide not to mention it and wait for her mood to subside, or just until she fumes herself out. I notice that Xena is helping as well and I make my way past Susan to greet her. She smiles as she sees me coming and puts down the pot she's holding to hug me tightly.

"We didn't get much of a chance to speak last night, but I'm so glad you're both back and safe."

"As am I, there were moments when I truly thought we'd be killed. But Peter- I've no idea where he learnt to fight, certainly not in England."

"It's in his blood, but even though you were in danger, don't you love the fight? Don't you feel closer to the people you fought with now?" I paused, taken aback. She was right; I'd been thinking the exact same thing while on our journey, thinking mainly of Vasadal.

"You fight?" I asked the delicate beauty that was Xena.

"Of course," she laughed, "it's in my blood just as much as it's in Peters." I considered this for a while, could I fight too? If I could be any use in a battle I'd like to help.

"I don't think I'd like to be on the battle field, or that I'd be much good at it anyway, but I'd like to help." She looked up at me again and smiled, considering my small frame for a moment before speaking again.

"There's always archery. A lot of the nymphs and dryads are archers." I shook my head and frowned.

"I'm an awful shot, just ask Peter." I laughed quietly.

She only smiled, "We'll find something I'm sure."


End file.
